GIFT  OF 

CUs  d  ft 07 


t^L^ 


HORATIO  STEBBINS 
HIS  MINISTRY  AND  HIS  PERSONALITY 


HORA1 


HORATIO  STEBBINS 

HIS   MINISTRY 
AND   HIS   PERSONALITY 


BY 
CHARLES  A.  MURDOCK 


BOSTON  AND  NEW  YORK 

HOUGHTON  MIFFLIN  COMPANY 

(Cbt  ftitrrfiDr  prc«*  Cambridge 
IQ2I 


COPYRIGHT,  1931,  BY  RODERICK  STEBBINS 
ALL  RIGHTS  KEbERVED 


PRINTED  IN  THE  U.  S.  A. 


DEDICATED 

TO  THE  FAMILY  HE  DEARLY  LOVED 
AND  THE  PEOPLE  HE  NOBLY  SERVED 


457649 


"  There  are  souls  that  seem  to  dwell 
Above  the  earth,  so  rich  a  spell 
Floats  round  their  steps  where'er  they  move." 


PREFACE 

THERE  are  lives  that  should  be  better  known  and 
every  memory  of  them  jealously  cherished.  A  debt  of 
gratitude  and  a  clear  responsibility  rest  upon  those 
whose  privilege  it  has  been  to  enjoy  an  exceptional 
influence. 

Horatio  Stebbins,  in  his  day  and  generation,  was  a 
man  of  rare  power  and  lofty  spirit.  He  was  a  great 
personality,  with  uncommon  gifts  of  mind  and  heart. 
His  mountainous  faith  was  a  marked  characteristic. 
He  united  strength  and  tenderness  in  a  degree  that 
made  him  a  leader  of  men.  His  absolute  integrity,  his 
kindliness,  his  serenity,  his  patient  faithfulness,  his 
fortitude,  his  magnanimity,  his  humor,  made  him  the 
embodiment  of  the  best  religious  life.  For  fifty  years 
he  preached  a  rational  and  reverent  religion,  with 
great  power.  He  loved  God  and  his  fellow-men.  He 
lived  happily,  he  served  gladly,  he  died  courageously. 

For  the  more  than  thirty-five  years  of  his  ministry 
in  San  Francisco  I  knew  him  well  and  enjoyed  his  in- 
dulgent friendship,  a  blessing  that  demands  every 
possible  return.  I  feel  my  inability  to  set  forth  ade- 
quately his  message  and  personality,  but  I  am  moved 
by  a  profound  sense  of  obligation  to  do  what  I  may  to 
make  him  known  as  he  was,  to  recall  to  those  who 


x  PREFACE 

loved  him  some  of  his  characteristic  sayings  with  in- 
cidents of  his  fruitful  life,  and  especially  to  extend  his 
influence  to  this  generation,  by  emphasis  on  his  benign 
and  beautiful  spirit. 

C.  A.  M. 


CONTENTS 

I.  EARLY  YEARS  i 

n.  FrrcHBURG  AND  PORTLAND  :  1851-1864  16 

III.  WITH  THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  CHURCH  30 

IV.  WIDER  SERVICE  49 
V.  RIPENED  YEARS  79 

VI.  CLOSE  OF  THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  MINISTRY  108 

VII.  QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE  131 

Vin.  LETTERS  TO  A  SON  :  1881-1899  160 

DC  SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS  185 

X.  PRAYERS  227 

XL  THAT  WHICH  REMAINETH  :  A  CONFERENCE 

SERMON  236 

THE  SON  OF  MAN  IN  HIS  DAY:  A  SERMON  247 


HORATIO  STEBBINS 


CHAPTER  I 

EARLY  YEARS 

THE  Stebbins  families  of  the  Connecticut  Valley  find  a 
common  ancestor  in  Rowland  Stebbins,  born  in  Bock- 
ing,  Essex  County,  England,  on  the  fifth  day  of  No- 
vember, 1592.  In  the  baptismal  record  in  the  register 
of  St.  Mary's  Church  there,  the  name  is  spelled 
Stebing.  Rowland  came  to  America  in  1634  with  his 
wife,  Sarah  Whiting,  and  two  sons.  After  living  in 
Roxbury,  Massachusetts,  for  four  or  five  years,  he 
moved  his  family  to  Springfield,  the  site  of  which  his 
friend  Pynchon  had  bought  from  the  Indians  some 
years  before.  With  his  son  John  he  later  removed  to 
Northampton,  while  the  elder  son,  Thomas,  remained 
permanently  in  Springfield.  From  him  Horatio  Steb- 
bins was  descended. 

In  1685  the  "outward  commons"  of  Springfield, 
mountainous  land  on  both  sides  of  the  Connecticut 
River,  were  awarded  to  settlers,  and  three  sons  of 
Thomas  secured  subdivisions.  Samuel  Stebbins,  great- 
grandson  of  Thomas  and  great-grandfather  of  Horatio, 
settled  on  one  of  these  subdivisions  in  1741.  The  tract 
was  nine  miles  from  Springfield  and  a  part  of  the  future 


2  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

town  of  South  Wilbraham,  now  known  as  Hampden. 
In  those  days  families  were  generous  in  size,  and 
Samuel  had  ten  brothers  and  sisters.  His  own  family 
was  limited  to  eight  children,  but  his  son  and  his 
grandson  in  the  direct  line  had  the  customary  eleven. 
Calvin  Stebbins,  one  of  his  grandsons,  married  Amelia 
Adams,  a  young  woman  of  character  and  charm. 
Horatio  was  their  third  son.  Roderick,  five  years 
older,  became  a  successful  physician.  The  second  son, 
Randolph,  was  Horatio's  senior  by  two  years.  Two 
other  brothers  died  in  infancy.  The  mother  died  when 
Horatio  was  six  years  of  age.  By  his  father's  second 
marriage  there  were  three  children,  one  of  whom,  the 
Reverend  Calvin  Stebbins,  D.D.,  is  still  living. 

In  the  history  of  Wilbraham  the  family  name  ap- 
pears frequently.  In  1741  the  application  for  a  parish 
meeting  was  signed  by  Samuel  Stebbins,  and  at  the 
meeting  he  was  made  an  assessor.  Aaron,  Caleb,  and 
Phineas  held  minor  offices.  The  location  of  the  meet- 
ing-house was  a  stirring  issue.  It  was  six  years  before 
Wigwam  Hill  triumphed,  and  it  was  twelve  years 
before  this  site  was  accepted,  the  church  built,  and 
all  the  gallery  seats  were  installed. 

The  community  was  intensely  loyal  to  the  cause  of 
the  colonies.  In  1774  a  pledge  against  purchasing  or 
consuming  goods  imported  from  Great  Britain  was 
signed  by  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  determined 
men,  ten  of  whom  bore  the  name  of  Stebbins.  In  1775 
the  call  from  Lexington  was  promptly  answered  by  a 


EARLY  YEARS  3 

company  of  volunteers.  Another  company  rallied  at 
Bennington  to  the  relief  of  Gates.  At  least  ten  of  the 
Stebbins  family  served  in  the  Continental  army.  In 
church  matters  the  family  was  interested,  but  inde- 
pendent. In  1805,  when  a  petition  for  a  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  was  presented  to  the  town,  thirteen 
of  the  proponents  signed  the  name  of  Stebbins,  and 
several  of  the  same  name  signed  a  protest  against  it. 

From  such  an  ancestry  and  in  such  a  community 
Horatio  Stebbins  was  born  on  August  8,  1821,  of  the 
eighth  generation  of  his  American  family.  His  father 
was  a  well-to-do  farmer,  a  man  of  good  mind  but  lim- 
ited education.  He  was  just  and  upright,  respected  by 
his  neighbors.  In  his  family  relations  he  united  gentle- 
ness and  wise  severity.  He  made  his  son  a  companion. 
Dr.  Stebbins  said  of  him:  "He  often  bore  me  upon  his 
shoulder  across  the  running  river,  or  led  me  by  the 
hand  through  meadows  where  birds  sang  and  lilies 
bloomed." 

The  death  of  Horatio's  mother  in  his  early  boyhood 
was  an  irreparable  loss.  She  was  a  woman  of  fine 
temper,  good  sense,  and  great  sensibility.  She  is  said 
to  have  had  an  unusual  gift  for  sententious  expression, 
which  Dr.  Stebbins  also  possessed,  perhaps  inherited 
from  her.  He  had  merely  a  childhood  recollection  of 
her  —  a  beautiful  but  indistinct  picture  of  a  loving 
presence  as  she  spoke  to  him  in  tender  blessing  on  her 
dying  bed. 

Dr.  Stebbins  had  an  intense  affection  for  his  grand- 


4  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

mother.  In  a  remarkable  sermon  on  "The  End  of 
Being,"  he  says :  "There  is  one  other  whose  being  was 
a  beatific  vision  to  my  childhood  heart,  above  all  the 
accidents  of  earthly  existence,  in  whom  duty  was  a 
cheerful  song,  and  care  a  happy  delight ;  from  whose 
heart  love  shone  like  the  lily  in  Abou  Ben  Adhem's 
dream.  She  was  my  grandmother.  What  beautiful 
conduct !  Her  feet  touched  the  earth  as  lightly  as  an 
angel's ;  in  her  face  was  the  strange  mystery  of  pain 
and  joy,  and  a  piety  in  which  all  fear  was  changed  to 
reverence.  To  a  child's  heart,  beauty  shone  around,  as 
glory  on  the  shepherds  of  Judea.  Thanks  be  to  God 
that  such  visions  and  wonderings  and  imaginations 
may  be  in  the  heart  of  a  child.  They  are  the  light 
beyond  our  earthly  horizons,  tingeing  our  morning 
heights." 

The  family  home  was  the  scene  of  much  kindly  hos- 
pitality. The  father  was  interested  in  religion,  politics, 
and  the  intercourse  of  educated  men,  and  he  enjoyed 
entertaining  visiting  ministers  and  strangers  generally. 
Polemics  had  not  much  interest  for  the  young  boy, 
but  he  liked  to  hear  the  ministers  discuss  matters  with 
his  father,  who,  to  the  son  at  least,  seemed  to  hold  his 
own.  Many  of  these  men  were  marked  figures,  who 
impressed  him  strongly.  He  remembered  especially 
Minister  Warner,  who  wore  breeches,  knee-buckles, 
and  a  queue  of  braided  hair;  also  Elder  Brewster,  who 
had  a  very  small  salary,  but  always  seemed  to  have 
money  to  lend;  and  Wilbur  Fiske,  the  Methodist, 


EARLY  YEARS  5 

who  founded  a  college  at  Middletown,  Connecticut. 
Mr.  Stebbins  was  a  reverent  man,  but  he  never  took 
much  interest  in  the  revivals  that  recurred  regularly. 
The  home  was  well  supplied  with  books,  and  the  boy 
learned  to  read  by  reading  to  his  father.  For  three 
months  in  the  winter  he  attended  the  district  school. 
He  early  showed  ability  for  work  on  the  farm,  and 
could  cut  grain  in  the  field,  drive  a  team  on  the  road, 
or  fell  a  tree  in  the  woods.  His  youthful  sports  were 
simple:  a  little  hunting  and  fishing,  a  bee-hunt  in  the 
summer,  spelling-school  in  the  autumn,  nuts  and 
apples  around  the  open  fire  in  the  winter.  From  all 
that  is  told  of  his  boyhood  life  and  from  his  later  devel- 
opment, it  is  plain  that  one  of  his  happy  inheritances 
was  vigorous  strength.  Physically  and  mentally  he 
was  sound  and  well.  He  could  do  all  kinds  of  things  to 
help  his  father,  and  he  grew  up  expecting  to  do  them. 
He  was  surrounded  by  an  atmosphere  of  work,  con- 
ducive to  health  of  body  and  mind.  He  was  generally 
a  happy  boy,  although  he  had  a  vein  of  sensitiveness, 
and  occasionally  suffered  from  some  imagined  griev- 
ance. No  doubt  he  missed  his  mother  unconsciously, 
but  he  was  a  normal  boy,  thoughtful  and  serious- 
minded,  who  enjoyed  good  reading.  He  early  showed  a 
predilection  for  the  best  preachers,  and  was  attracted 
to  Channing  and  Dewey  before  he  was  twelve  years 
old.  He  had  a  half-formed  hope  that  some  day  he 
might  be  a  minister,  but  definite  purpose  awaited 
development  and  the  assurance  of  possibility. 


6  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

The  early  unfolding  of  the  boyish  mind  was  recalled 
more  than  fifty  years  later,  with  a  beautiful  picture  of 
his  daily  life.  He  opened  his  Easter  sermon  in  1887 
with  these  words :  "When  I  was  a  boy,  thirteen  years 
old,  I  sat  at  noonday  beneath  the  shadow  of  an  oak  on 
my  father's  farm  to  eat  my  luncheon  and  allow  the 
patient  oxen  to  rest  and  refresh  themselves  from  the 
plough.  I  had  taken  with  me  to  the  field  a  little  book, 
the  first  printed  sermons  of  Orville  Dewey,  that  great 
preacher  of  a  former  generation,  whose  fine  sensibility, 
tender  pathos,  and  moral  insight  delighted  with  deep 
and  reverent  feeling  the  hearts  of  men.  I  had  taken  my 
luncheon,  and  the  oxen  were  feeding  on  the  fine  Eng- 
lish hay,  that  had  a  brightness  and  flavor  like  Hyson 
tea.  I  lay  flat  upon  the  ground  and  read :  'The  world 
is  filled  with  the  voices  of  the  dead.  Though  they  are 
invisible,  yet  life  is  filled  with  their  presence.'  Go 
where  we  will,  the  dead  are  with  us.  We  live,  we  con- 
verse, with  those  who  once  lived  and  conversed  with 
us.  Their  well-remembered  tone  mingles  with  the 
whispering  breezes,  with  the  sound  of  the  falling  leaf, 
with  the  jubilee  shout  of  the  springtime.  The  earth  is 
filled  with  their  shadowy  train." 

These  days  of  helpfulness  on  the  far  n  left  many 
pleasant  memories.  In  a  sermon  on  "Looking  Back- 
ward" he  says :  "Jesus  affirms  that  'no  man  is  fit  for 
the  Kingdom  of  God  who  holds  the  plough  and  looks 
backward.'  Did  you  ever  hold  a  plough?  It  is  a  much 
better  business  than  you  think.  On  a  fine  morning  in 


EARLY  YEARS  7 

May,  when  the  sun  shines  clear  through  genial  air, 
the  trees  are  putting  forth  their  buds  into  tender 
leaves,  and  birds  are  singing  in  the  branches,  it  is  a 
pleasant  thing  to  go  into  the  field  with  a  team  of 
strong,  handsome,  gentle-eyed  oxen,  their  heads  high, 
their  horns  pure  white  tipped  with  shining  brass,  their 
faces  so  honest  that  you  know  they  could  never  tell  a 
lie.  There  is  a  picture,  familiar  to  many  of  you,  per- 
haps, of  a  ploughing  team,  with  a  man  and  boy.  The 
boy  is  holding,  and  his  father  is  walking  by  his  side, 
directing  him  with  a  gesture  of  his  hand.  It  is  a  simple 
picture  of  a  simple  scene,  such  as  artists  of  great  genius 
choose  when  they  present  the  scenery  of  common  life 
on  the  level  canvas,  and  fascinate  and  surprise  us  with 
the  greatness  of  the  everyday  sentiments  of  human 
nature.  I  have  looked  upon  that  picture  many  times, 
and  I  could  imagine  that  I  heard  the  father  tell  his  son 
how  to  hold  the  plough :  '  So,  my  lad ;  bear  on  the 
handles  gently ;  cut  the  same  breadth ;  keep  the  same 
depth,  and  turn  the  furrow  flat ;  speak  quietly  to  the 
team,  and  don't  look  behind  you ;  the  work  is  here.'" 
Next  to  the  family  and  the  home  comes  the  influ- 
ence of  community  life  and  customs.  It  was  almost  a 
hundred  years  ago,  and  there  was  far  less  relaxation 
from  Puritan  severity  than  we  find  to-day.  There  was 
far  greater  simplicity,  and  a  rigor  we  know  little.  Life 
was  a  serious  business.  To  make  a  living,  simple 
though  it  was,  was  not  easy,  and  hard  work  was  a 
necessary  habit  of  existence.  Happiness,  if  reached, 


8  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

depended  little  on  self-indulgence.  Accumulations  of 
wealth  were  infrequent,  amusements  few,  and  pleas- 
ure hardly  expected.  Frivolity  was  frowned  upon  as 
something  that  could  not  be  afforded.  Economy  was  a 
part  of  the  atmosphere,  and  extended  to  the  expres- 
sion of  affection.  The  church  loomed  large  as  a  part 
of  life,  and,  although  its  standards  were  narrow  and 
its  demands  rigid,  it  nurtured  strong  characters. 
Waste  did  not  weaken  and  luxury  did  not  corrupt. 
The  difficulty  of  getting  anything  spurred  effort, 
and  vigorous  effort  generated  the  strength  required 
to  accomplish  purpose. 

Such  environment  and  educational  advantages 
might  not  now  be  considered  favorable,  but  we  are 
prone  to  underestimate  the  value  of  what  is  hard  and 
difficult.  Conditions  may  be  favorable  in  the  degree 
that  they  compel  effort  and  arouse  determination. 

When  Horatio  Stebbins  was  about  fourteen,  he 
really  needed  better  educational  privileges  than  the 
district  school  afforded,  and  he  went  to  Springfield  to 
attend  the  high  school,  working  nights  and  mornings 
to  earn  his  board.  He  was  not  satisfied  with  the  results. 
The  studies  were  dull,  and  the  teachers  did  not  inspire 
him.  After  about  a  year  and  a  half,  he  felt  an  ambition 
to  earn  money,  and  went  home  to  hire  out  on  a  neigh- 
boring farm.  He  felt  that  he  was  doing  well  to  earn 
twelve  dollars  and  a  half  a  month ;  and  he  saved  a  good 
part  of  his  wages,  for  his  wants  were  simple.  After  a 
year  or  more  he  and  his  brother  entered  into  an  ar- 


EARLY  YEARS  9 

rangement  with  their  father  by  which  they  worked  the 
family  farm  on  shares,  and  for  two  years  they  were 
moderately  successful.  During  this  period  of  wage- 
work  and  farming  he  kept  at  his  studies,  and  finally 
applied  for  the  place  of  schoolmaster  in  a  near-by 
district.  He  passed  the  examination,  and  began  to 
teach  at  a  salary  of  fifteen  dollars  a  month,  boarding 
around  after  the  manner  of  the  time.  He  was  there- 
after engaged  for  the  four  months'  winter  term,  and 
taught  for  several  years. 

My  native  town,  Leominster,  was  about  forty-five 
miles  to  the  northeast,  but  his  reputation  extended 
even  there.  One  winter  he  was  engaged  to  teach  for  the 
central  district  At  the  advent  of  a  new  master,  a  test 
commonly  arose  for  actual  control.  On  the  first  day  of 
the  term  the  big  boys  were  apt  to  be  unruly  and  in  this 
instance  they  were  provokingly  defiant ;  but  the  ques- 
tion was  summarily  solved.  The  new  master,  Horatio 
Stebbins,  said  little,  but  he  quietly  opened  the  outside 
door,  grasped  the  ringleader,  lifted  him  high  in  air, 
and  threw  him  into  a  snowbank.  His  control  was  not 
further  questioned.  The  fact  that  the  boy  was  the  son  of 
a  prominent  deacon  gave  the  schoolmaster  no  concern. 

Taught  by  teaching,  ambition  grew  until  Horatio 
finally  formed  the  settled  purpose  to  take  a  college 
course.  One  day,  as  he  and  his  father  worked  together 
in  the  field,  he  broached  the  subject.  His  father  was 
not  unsympathetic,  but  gave  him  no  encouragement. 
He  was  unable  to  give  all  his  sons  a  college  education 


io  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

and  felt  that  he  must  treat  them  alike.  Horatio  re- 
mained firm  in  his  purpose,  and,  realizing  the  difficul- 
ties to  be  overcome,  he  determined  to  accomplish  the 
undertaking  by  his  own  efforts. 

A  friend  of  his  father's  conducted  an  academy  at 
Ithaca,  New  York,  and  thither  he  went,  riding  ten 
miles  in  the  family  buggy  and  walking  a  hundred  miles 
to  the  Hudson  River,  in  order  to  husband  his  small 
savings.  He  could  not  carry  his  belongings,  and  sent 
them  by  the  stage.  When  he  paid  the  charge  in  Ithaca, 
he  found  that  it  had  cost  him  only  fifty  cents  less  than 
if  he  had  taken  a  railway  ticket  and  brought  his  bag- 
gage —  a  painful  lesson  in  false  economy.  He  began 
a  course  of  hard  study,  spending  one  dollar  and 
twenty-five  cents  a  week  for  food  and  lodging,  and 
nearly  breaking  down  in  health  as  a  consequence. 
In  six  months  he  was  obliged  to  go  out  and  teach. 
Trying  to  make  a  short  cut  he  added  to  his  teaching 
the  study  of  medicine,  reading  evenings  and  riding 
with  the  doctor  during  vacations.  He  soon  became 
dissatisfied  and  discouraged,  and  returned  to  his  home, 
feeling  that  he  had  wasted  two  years.  For  a  short 
time  he  managed  to  pursue  elementary  studies  at 
Northampton,  and  spent  a  few  months  pleasantly 
and  profitably  with  his  cousin,  Rufus  Phineas  Steb- 
bins,  at  Leominster.  Finally,  having  overcome  many 
obstacles  and  made  what  he  considered  many  blun- 
ders, he  planted  his  feet  more  firmly  on  a  recognized 
ladder  of  learning. 


EARLY  YEARS  n 

Before  the  Revolution  one  John  Phillips  founded  a 
preparatory  school  at  Exeter,  New  Hampshire,  and 
here  young  Stebbins  made  his  way.  His  course  was 
prolonged  by  necessary  interruptions  for  school- 
teaching,  when  funds  gave  out,  but  on  the  whole  he 
made  good  time.  In  1845,  he  was  invited  to  give 
the  Fourth  of  July  address  at  a  celebration  at  Epping, 
New  Hampshire.  This  address  has  especial  interest  as 
the  earliest  example  of  his  public  speaking  that  has 
been  preserved.  In  many  respects  it  was  remarkable. 
He  spoke  with  serious  purpose  of  the  principles  and 
ideals  of  liberty.  Thoughtful  and  prophetic,  it  sug- 
gested in  passages  and  tone  the  Gettysburg  Address. 
He  said  in  part :  "We  honor  our  fathers  most  in  honor- 
ing the  great  principles  which  they  revered ;  we  are 
their  most  worthy  children  when  we  cherish  in  our  own 
bosoms  the  virtues  they  reverenced,  when  we  acknowl- 
edge the  power  of  the  great  truths  they  uttered,  and 
for  which  they  went  out  for  voluntary  martyrdom.  It 
is  a  poor  tribute  to  their  memory  that  we  laud  their 
deeds,  if  the  true  heroism  of  those  deeds  does  not  dwell 
in  us.  Poor,  indeed,  is  it  that  we  speak  here  the  praise 
of  liberty  unless  we  are  able  to  cherish  that  same  spirit 
of  self-sacrifice  which  moved  those  heroes  of  the  past. 
As  we  stand  this  day  at  their  graves,  let  silence  be  the 
eloquence  we  utter.  The  spirit  of  the  mighty  past  is 
here ;  the  heroic  dead  are  here.  They  speak ;  let  us  be 
still!' 

He  then  traced  the  rise  of  the  star  of  human  im- 


12  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

provement,  finding  the  key  that  unlocks  the  destiny  of 
the  human  race  to  be  heroic  devotion  to  truth.  "Free- 
dom is  dangerous,  and  not  to  be  enjoyed  in  passive  ease 
and  security.  It  puts  man's  higher  powers  to  the  test. 
Governments  have  usurped  power,  and  human  life 
and  liberty  have  been  baubles  with  which  kings  have 
played ;  but  it  has  been  now  established  that  there  are 
principles  more  sacred  than  the  divine  right  of  kings. 
We  stand  among  the  nations  asserting  the  highest  prin- 
ciples of  government  under  heaven,  recognizing  the 
rights  of  man  more  fully,  a  thousand  years  in  advance 
of  European  civilization.  We  as  a  nation  are  but  a 
handful  of  men  in  comparison  to  the  myriad  hosts  of 
the  earth  who  wait  for  the  deliverance  which  we  have 
reached,  and  if  they  ever  reach  it,  it  must  be  from  the 
genius  of  our  institutions." 

He  concluded  with  faith  in  the  general  diffusion  of 
the  great  doctrine  of  universal  brotherhood,  and  in  the 
spirit  of  inquiry  and  freedom  of  thought. 

This  address  is  singularly  impressive,  coming  from  a 
young  man  in  a  preparatory  school,  and  especially  as 
indicating  how  early  in  life  were  established  convic- 
tions that  he  firmly  maintained  to  the  end.  It  is  also 
interesting  to  recall  that  thirty-one  years  later  he  was 
selected  to  speak  for  the  great  city  in  which  he  had 
cast  his  lot,  on  the  occasion  of  the  one  hundredth  anni- 
versary of  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, which  also  coincided  with  the  one  hundredth 
anniversary  of  the  founding  of  San  Francisco  itself* 


EARLY  YEARS  13 

The  following  year  he  graduated  from  Phillips 
Exeter,  honored  as  class  orator  and  also  delivering  a 
notable  address  on  "The  Dignity  of  Learning,"  before 
the  Golden  Branch  Society.  In  this  he  declared  that 
the  highest  objects  of  education  are  the  influences  it 
exerts  on  character.  One  striking  sentence  was :  "  Man 
is  not  educated  if  his  moral  and  religious  nature  be  not 
developed ;  he  is  only  mangled,  and  if  he  is  great,  he  is 
great  in  his  deformity." 

On  June  21,  1883,  Dr.  Stebbins  enjoyed  attending 
the  Centennial  of  Phillips  Exeter  Academy.  It  must 
have  been  a  satisfaction  to  him  to  be  selected  to  deliver 
the  oration. 

He  left  Exeter  with  little  money  in  his  purse.  When 
he  reached  Boston,  it  was  reduced  to  three  dollars, 
and  he  probably  had  recourse  to  one  of  his  periodical 
drafts  on  his  school-teaching  bank.  He  had  made 
friends  who  believed  in  him  and  wanted  to  help  him, 
and  he  allowed  them  to  make  some  small  advances 
during  his  college  and  divinity  school  days ;  but  he  was 
mainly  self-supporting,  and  had  no  false  pride  as  to 
the  character  of  the  work  that  offered.  The  story  of 
his  potato  patch  was  long  told  at  Harvard.  He  re- 
ceived from  Dr.  Noyes,  of  the  Harvard  Divinity 
School,  permission  to  cultivate  a  vacant  field  on 
Oxford  Street,  near  Kirkland  Street,  where  a  wing  of 
the  Agassiz  Museum  was  afterwards  built.  It  was  a 
dry  summer  and  a  hard  year  for  potatoes  in  Cambridge, 
but  morning  and  night  young  Stebbins  carried  pailful 


H  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

after  pailful  of  water  from  the  college  pump  to  supply 
his  need.  Other  potatoes  failed  to  mature,  prices  were 
correspondingly  high,  and  the  student-farmer  cleared 
one  hundred  dollars  from  his  potato  patch. 

Horatio  Stebbins  received  his  degree  at  Harvard 
in  1848.  His  friend  Horace  Davis,  ten  years  younger, 
graduated  hi  1849.  It  may  be  inferred  that  the  nine 
years'  priority  represents  about  the  time  taken  to 
overcome  the  handicap  of  having  to  earn  his  own  way. 
How  much  it  added  to  the  fiber  of  his  character  can- 
not possibly  be  shown,  but  no  one  could  know  Dr. 
Stebbins  without  feeling  that  his  strength  and  inde- 
pendence had  been  largely  fostered  by  his  circum- 
stances. 

There  are  evident  advantages  in  postponing  the 
study  of  theology  until  relative  maturity.  At  the  age 
of  twenty-seven  a  man  should  have  a  ripened  judg- 
ment and  a  firmer  grasp  on  truth  than  is  possible  in 
boyhood.  Such  an  experience  as  that  of  young  Steb- 
bins was  doubtless  a  valuable  preparatory  course,  but 
fortunately  he  was  able  to  push  on  now  without  added 
delay.  He  was  anxious  to  find  his  place  in  life  and  to  do 
his  work,  but  he  was  wise  in  not  taking  advantage  of 
opportunities  to  cut  short  his  training  and  accept  a 
pulpit  hi  advance  of  the  completion  of  his  preparatory 
studies.  He  resolutely  stayed  by  the  Harvard  Divinity 
School,  and  regularly  graduated  in  the  class  of  1851. 

This  was  a  momentous  year  in  his  life.  The  impor- 
tant question  of  location  was  first  to  be  determined. 


EARLY  YEARS  15 

Evidently  his  promise  was  immediately  recognized, 
and  he  was  offered  the  choice  of  several  desirable  pul- 
pits. One  was  in  Boston  and  would  have  been  taken 
by  almost  any  graduate,  but  Horatio  Stebbins  had  a 
way  of  thinking  a  thing  out  in  all  its  bearings.  He  had, 
in  the  first  place,  a  sincere  purpose  to  render  the  best 
possible  service.  He  felt  that  he  was  the  best  judge  of 
his  own  qualifications  and  limitations,  and  that  he  was 
better  fitted  to  a  country  pulpit  than  to  one  in  a  great 
city.  He  had  known  country  people  all  his  life,  and 
could  get  at  them  and  help  them  far  better  than  the 
more  sophisticated  dwellers  in  the  city.  Therefore, 
after  careful  consideration,  he  accepted  the  call  to 
Fitchburg.  It  was  a  good  church  in  a  manufacturing 
center  about  forty  miles  from  Boston.  He  was  or- 
dained a  minister  and  settled  over  the  church  on 
November  5,  1851.  Before  entering  his  ministry  he 
married  Mary  Ann  Fisher,  of  Northborough. 

Miss  Fisher  was  the  daughter  of  Samuel  Fisher  and 
Mary  ^Bowman,  and  the  granddaughter  of  Joseph 
Bowman  and  Anna  Valentine,  representatives  of 
families  distinguished  in  the  history  of  Massachusetts. 
One  of  her  ancestors,  the  first  of  his  name  in  this  coun- 
try, was  Advocate- General  of  the  Provinces  of  Massa- 
chusetts Bay,  New  Hampshire,  and  Rhode  Island, 
and  is  buried  in  the  burying-ground  of  King's  Chapel, 
Boston,  of  which  church  he  was  a  warden.  Mary  was  a 
beautiful  girl,  endowed  with  vivacity  and  a  playful 
sense  of  humor,  but  not  robust  in  health. 


CHAPTER  II 

FITCHBURG  AND  PORTLAND 
1851-1864 

HORATIO  STEBBINS  was  ordained  in  Fitchburg  as  a 
minister  of  the  Unitarian  Church  and  installed  as 
colleague  of  the  Reverend  Calvin  Lincoln.  The  Rev- 
erend Andrew  P.  Peabody,  of  Portsmouth,  New 
Hampshire,  preached  the  sermon,  and  the  Reverend 
George  R.  Noyes,  the  Reverend  Converse  Francis,  the 
Reverend  John  F.  W.  Ware,  and  others  took  part  in 
the  service.  It  was  an  auspicious  beginning  of  a  long 
ministerial  career.  His  wife  wrote  a  glowing  account  of 
it  to  his  brother,  Dr.  Roderick  Stebbins,  then  living  at 
Friendship,  New  York : 

"Horatio's  ordination  went  off  finely.  The  day  was 
bright  and  clear  —  a  beautiful  autumn  day.  The  serv- 
ices were  peculiarly  solemn  and  impressive,  of  the 
highest  order.  Everybody  said  so.  The  house  was 
crowded.  After  the  service  the  ministers  and  delegates, 
with  their  wives  and  all  invited  guests,  went  to  the 
Fitchburg  Hotel  to  dine.  We  stayed  at  the  hotel  until 
four  o'clock,  then  came  home  to  rest,  in  order  to  attend 
the  levee  which  took  place  at  the  hotel  in  the  evening. 
We  went  down  about  seven,  and  met  nearly  all  the 
members  of  the  parish.  I  never  was  at  so  large  a  party 
before.  There  were  about  four  hundred  there,  and  we 


FITCHBURG  AND  PORTLAND      17 

were  introduced  to  nearly  all  and  shook  hands  with 
them.  About  nine  we  went  down  to  the  dining-room  to 
refreshments.  We  had  music  and  songs.  It  was  a 
grand  affair.  It  showed  the  good  feeling  of  the  people. 
They  have  all  been  very  cordial.  Nothing  could  be 
more  so.  Do  not  think,  my  dear  brother,  that  we  are 
carried  away  with  all  this.  It  is  not  so.  We  feel  that 
we  are  among  our  friends,  and  feel  grateful  for  their 
kindness  and  cordiality." 

Her  husband  added  a  postscript :  "I  find  myself  with 
a  whole  village  on  my  shoulders.  There  is  a  great 
parish  here,  numbering  two  hundred  families  at  least, 
and  among  them  a  good  sprinkling  of  educated  and 
clear-headed  men.  I  have  got  something  to  do  to  keep 
up  to  their  expectations.  Mary  is  a  great  help  to  me 
by  her  affectionate  discretion  and  quick  sense  of 
propriety  without  referring  to  rules.  My  dear  brother, 
not  a  day  passes  in  which  you  do  not  make  a  part  of 
our  conversation.  We  think  of  you  and  talk  of  you  by 
ourselves,  for  our  hearts  delight  to  turn  toward  you, 
and  to  love  you. 

"  Your  dear  brother,  HORATIO  STEBBINS." 
His  wife  closed  the  letter  with  a  second  postscript, 
giving  an  interesting  side  of  the  new  life:  "He  mar- 
ried a  couple  the  day  after  the  ordination,  for  which  he 
received  five  dollars.  That  belongs  to  me,  of  course, 
and  now,  if  anything  is  wanted,  why,  he  thinks  I  can 
get  it,  as  I  have  money  enough.  I  hope  he'll  get  an- 
other job  soon." 


i8  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

Fitchburg  adjoins  Leominster,  where  I  spent  most  of 
my  boyhood.  It  was  about  five  miles  from  church  to 
church,  and  the  two  ministers  frequently  exchanged 
pulpits.  I  found  the  tall  young  minister  a  most  attrac- 
tive visitor.  He  was  impressive  even  to  a  boy.  His 
appearance  and  manner  were  different  from  those  of 
any  one  else.  His  was  a  new  pattern,  and  he  said 
things  in  his  own  way.  I  was  always  interested  in  his 
texts,  which  were  unworn  by  common  usage.  I  was 
not  equal  to  following  him  closely,  and  I  knew  nothing 
about  originality  or  personality,  but  I  now  see  why 
he  seemed  distinctive  and  pleasing.  He  used  rather 
long  words,  I  thought,  and  he  preached  to  men  rather 
than  boys,  but  I  liked  him,  for  he  was  genuine  and 
strong. 

There  was  poor  connection  between  the  towns,  long 
before  the  day  of  street  cars,  and  when  the  ministers 
exchanged  they  usually  walked.  Naturally  they  met 
as  they  went  home,  and  they  often  stopped  to  talk. 
Years  afterwards  Dr.  Stebbins  related  an  experience. 
Amos  Smith,  our  Leominster  minister,  was  a  man  of 
rare  kindliness,  very  good  but  bland,  piously  emo- 
tional, and  not  forceful.  He  was  fond  of  Stebbins  and 
wanted  to  help  him.  One  day  they  had  an  earnest  talk. 
As  they  parted,  he  stretched  himself  up  on  his  toes, 
grasped  his  towering  brother  by  his  collar,  and  ex- 
claimed:  "Stebbins,  Stebbins,  you  must  try  to  be 
spiritual!"  " While  aU  the  time,"  Dr.  Stebbins  said, 
"I  was  trying  to  hold  myself  in  and  be  moderate  in 


FITCHBURG  AND  PORTLAND      19 

expressing  my  deep  feeling."  However,  it  is  to  be 
admitted  that  in  earlier  years  his  intellect  seemed  pre- 
dominant. His  clear,  thorough  thought  was  so  evident 
that  his  feelings  were  less  readily  recognized,  and  the 
indwelling  spirit  was  hidden  as  are  the  stars  at  midday. 
As  he  ripened  he  mellowed,  and  more  and  more  he 
became  the  seer  and  the  prophet  —  commandingly 
spiritual. 

Dr.  Stebbins  was  well  liked  by  his  Fitchburg  parish, 
and  declined  a  number  of  calls  to  leave  them.  One  of 
these  calls,  in  1852,  was  from  the  church  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. It  was  a  kind  providence  that  left  that  particu- 
lar church  to  be  ministered  to  eight  years  later  by  Starr 
King,  and  also  allowed  Horatio  Stebbins  to  grow  and 
ripen  for  twelve  years,  gaining  firm  mastery  of  great 
principles  that  enabled  him  powerfully  to  supplement 
the  brilliant  leadership  of  King. 

At  the  death  of  Dr.  Stebbins  the  Springfield  Repub- 
lican related  a  characteristic  incident  of  his  Fitchburg 
ministry  that  throws  light  on  how  he  captured  his  first 
followers.  When  he  was  pastor  in  Fitchburg,  accord- 
ing to  this  narrative,  he  set  out  to  interest  a  close-fisted 
farmer  who  had  long  been  the  terror  of  the  clergymen 
of  Fitchburg  and  the  hard  case  of  the  town.  Calling 
on  this  farmer  one  day,  he  found  him  at  work  in  the 
hay-field,  and  drew  him  into  conversation  about  farm- 
ing, a  subject  with  which  his  early  experience  had 
made  him  familiar. 

"You  like  farmin'  ?  Can  ye  mow?"  said  the  fanner. 


do  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

"Oh,  yes,  I  used  to  mow  a  little  when  I  was  a  boy," 
was  the  reply. 

"I'd  like  to  lay  a  swath  with  ye,"  said  the  farmer. 

"All  right,"  replied  the  doctor,  as  he  stripped  off  his 
coat. 

The  fanner  chuckled,  for  his  prowess  with  the  scythe 
was  the  pride  of  his  life,  and  he  dearly  loved  to  test  the 
endurance  of  rival  mowers  and  exult  in  their  downfall. 
He  gave  the  doctor  the  choice  of  his  scythes.  The 
latter  picked  out  a  good  one,  and  the  two  strode  in 
silence  to  the  part  of  the  unmown  field  where  the  grass 
stood  the  tallest.  The  doctor  struck  in,  followed  by 
the  farmer,  and  so  strong  and  powerful  were  the  clergy- 
man's strokes  that  the  farmer  could  hardly  follow  him. 

"You  are  the  only  man  I  ever  saw  that  could  lead 
me  at  the  end  of  the  round,"  he  said.  "I  guess  I'll 
have  to  come  to  hear  you  preach  next  Sunday,  by 
gosh,"  he  remarked  as  he  wiped  the  perspiration  from 
his  brow. 

Early  in  1854  Dr.  Stebbins  was  invited  by  the  people 
of  the  "Old  First  Parish"  of  Portland,  Maine,  to  be- 
come the  associate  of  that  remarkable  and  beloved 
man,  Ichabod  Nichols,  for  whom  he  entertained  great 
admiration  and  regard.  In  later  life  Dr.  Stebbins  wrote 
of  him :  "He  was  a  man  of  genius,  too  little  known  but 
thought  by  those  who  knew  him  to  be  one  of  the 
unknown  great  men.  His  mind  was  essentially  poetic 
and  saw  truth  as  by  spiritual  vision.  He  was  present 
at  Baltimore  when  Charming  preached  the  great  ser- 


FITCHBURG  AND  PORTLAND     21 

mon  there  —  the  most  polished  theologic  weapon  of 
that  period.  Dr.  Nichols  told  me  that  before  Channing 
preached,  on  the  morning  of  the  day,  he  read  the  ser- 
mon to  him,  Nichols,  asking  his  opinion  concerning 
the  discourse.  Dr.  Nichols,  in  his  modesty,  said  to  me, 
'I  considered  that  a  great  honor.'  I  always  thought 
that  Ichabod  Nichols  was  as  great  a  man  as  Channing, 
though  without  Channing's  consciousness  and  will." 

Dr.  Stebbins  accepted  the  call,  not  that  he  was  dis- 
satisfied with  Fitchburg,  but  from  a  desire  to  be  associ- 
ated with  a  man  so  eminent  and  to  gain  added  oppor- 
tunity for  service. 

At  the  installation  on  January  31,  1855,  the  sermon 
was  by  the  Reverend  George  E.  Ellis  of  Charlestown. 
Dr.  Peabody,  the  Reverend  Joseph  H.  Allen  of 
Bangor,  the  Reverend  Cyrus  A.  Bartol  of  Boston,  and 
the  Reverend  Loammi  G.  Ware  of  Augusta,  shared  in 
the  service,  and  the  senior  pastor,  the  Reverend  Icha- 
bod Nichols,  made  the  prayer  of  installation.  Perhaps 
no  other  church  in  the  land  had  had  an  equal  record  of 
long  ministries.  The  Reverend  Thomas  Smith  served 
for  seventy  years  from  1725;  the  Reverend  Samuel 
Deane,  forty-five  years;  and  Dr.  Nichols  had  served 
forty-six  years  when  Dr.  Stebbins  became  his  associ- 
ate. It  cannot  be  doubted  that,  but  for  the  imperative 
call  to  fill  the  gap  when  Starr  King  fell,  nine  years  later, 
he  would  have  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  the 
dearly  loved  Portland  parish  and  equaled  the  term  of 
his  two  predecessors. 


22  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

Dr.  Nichols  died  early  in  January,  1859.  On  the 
Sunday  following,  Dr.  Stebbins  preached  from  the 
text:  "All  saw  his  face,  as  it  had  been  an  Angel." 
A  brief  extract  from  the  concluding  paragraphs  ex- 
presses his  estimate  and  admiration:  "His  was  the 
heroism  of  saintship,  the  heroism  of  thought,  aspira- 
tion, and  obedience:  a  mysterious,  childlike  man,  a 
man  whose  best  words  were  spoken  upon  the  air  and 
cannot  be  gathered,  who  could  hardly  read  his  own 
sermons  after  the  ink  was  dry,  so  did  his  mind,  con- 
tinually renewed  by  the  freshness  of  its  life,  throw  off 
its  past  states  and  forget  itself ;  who  in  a  casual  talk 
would  immortalize  an  hour  by  making  it  a  seed-plot 
of  principles,  and  fill  the  air  around  with  shivering 
rays  of  intellectual  light  amid  which  his  face  was  as  the 
face  of  an  angel ;  a  man  who  appreciated  Christ  as  the 
ideal  of  our  humanity,  and  not  less  his  washing  his 
disciples'  feet.  What  testimony  to  the  spirit  his  last 
days  yielded,  we  have  all  heard.  He  died  in  that  high 
serenity  which  was  appropriate  alike  to  the  philo- 
sophic dignity  of  his  life,  and  the  simplicity  and 
humbleness  of  his  faith." 

On  the  1 5th  of  June,  1763,  the  town  of  South  Wil- 
braham,  the  birthplace  of  Horatio  Stebbins,  was  incor- 
porated, and  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  was 
appropriately  honored.  The  Reverend  Rufus  Phineas 
Stebbins  delivered  the  historical  address  and  his  cousin, 
Horatio,  traveled  from  his  Portland  parish  to  be 
present  The  address  was  too  long  for  complete  deliv- 


FITCHBURG  AND  PORTLAND      23 

ery.  After  having  read  from  it  for  what  seemed  a 
decent  time  the  orator  offered  to  desist,  but  was  urged 
to  go  on,  so  he  continued  until  he  had  spoken  for  two 
and  a  half  hours,  and  even  then  left  much  unsaid.  It 
was  afterwards  published  with  additions  as  a  history 
of  the  town.  After  the  exercises  there  was  a  dinner, 
and  then  more  felicitations. 

Among  other  sons  who  had  come  far,  Horatio  Steb- 
bins  was  called  upon.  He  said : 

"My  kinsman,  the  orator  of  the  day,  will  pardon 
me  if  I  have  seemed  to  listen  with  half-intent  and 
wandering  mind,  for  I  have  been  everywhere  to-day, 
drawn  by  magic  powers  of  the  air.  I  have  been  back  to 
childhood.  All  the  hilltops  have  blazed  in  recollection, 
and  I  see  the  earth  and  sky  again  as  they  seemed 
spread  above  and  around  my  father's  house!  The 
hills  are  mountains  and  prop  the  heavens  with  ever- 
lasting support ;  the  'goat  rocks/  halfway  up  the  slop- 
ing hillside,  rise  grim  and  gray,  and  my  voice  echoes 
in  the  cave  beneath,  peopled  with  shadows  and  half- 
terrors  ;  the  Scan  tic  River  is  a  flood,  rolling  in  might 
and  majesty  toward  the  sea ;  the  old  mill  in  the  moun- 
tain pass  grinds  away,  and  I  grope  carefully  in  its 
dusky  light,  with  a  childish  curiosity  and  wonder ;  and 
no  huntsman  'in  at  the  death*  so  thrills  with  tremu- 
lous delight,  as  I,  when,  drawing  the  bleating  flock 
closer  and  closer,  they  stand,  huddled  beneath  the 
great  button  wood,  at  the  sheep- washing.  Mr.  Presi- 
dent, you  never  saw  such  a  tree  as  stood  before  my 


*4  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

grandmother's  door;  it  was  a  mighty  tree!  —  the 
noontide  glory  rested  upon  its  head,  its  branches 
reached  from  the  east  to  the  west,  and  touched  the 
morning  and  the  evening ;  it  was  a  wonderful  tree,  by 
midday  or  moonlight ;  beauty,  grandeur,  and  strength 
had  their  abiding-place  in  it ;  in  the  winter,  cold  and 
bare,  it  stood  shadowless,  severe  and  unrelenting ;  in 
summer,  it  was  benignant,  kind,  and  merciful;  it 
always  had  the  same  aspect  with  the  heavens,  and,  like 
the  heavens,  seemed  to  have  stood  forever !  But,  the 
prosaic  suggestions  of  mature  years  hint  that  all  this 
is  a  sort  of  childish  wonder  and  exaggeration" ;  and 
he  closed  with  thoughts  suggested  by  the  words  of  the 
Preacher,  "One  generation  goeth  and  another  genera- 
tion cometh,  but  the  earth  abideth  forever." 

Portland  always  held  a  warm  spot  in  Dr.  Stebbins's 
heart,  and  he  was  very  happy  there.  One  of  his  parish- 
ioners has  written  of  his  ministry :  "His  manner  and 
voice  and  words  in  the  pulpit  excited  in  others  the  high 
thoughts  and  emotions  with  which  his  own  mind  and 
heart  were  kindled."  It  was  a  sad  day  for  the  parish 
when  it  parted  company  with  him.  Dr.  James  De 
Normandie  writes : 

"When  I  was  settled  over  the  South  Parish  in  Ports- 
mouth, in  1862,  Dr.  Stebbins  had  been  for  seven  years 
the  minister  of  the  First  Parish  in  Portland,  and  had 
attracted  great  attention  by  his  strong  preaching  and 
powerful  appeals  for  the  Union  just  as  the  Civil  War 
was  coming  on.  When  I  was  invited  to  become  his 


FITCHBURG  AND  PORTLAND     25 

successor  in  1865,  I  heard  much  about  his  ministry; 
and  one  incident,  told  me  again  and  again,  is  strongly 
characteristic  of  the  man. 

"In  his  parish,  as  in  all  old,  wealthy,  conservative 
parishes  in  New  England,  there  were  at  that  time  some 
whod  eplored  any  reference  in  the  Sunday  services  to 
the  war  or  to  slavery.  They  were  bound  up  in  com- 
mercial interests  with  the  South  or  they  were  disturbed 
about  the  future  of  the  land,  and  developed  a  sudden 
desire  to  hear  what  they  called  the  gospel  when  they 
went  to  church,  and  not  politics,  which  meant  the 
events  that  were  stirring  the  whole  country. 

"One  day  a  committee  waited  upon  Dr.  Stebbins  to 
say  that  they  feared  there  was  a  good  deal  of  dissatis- 
faction about  his  political  sermons,  and  that  they 
might  break  up  the  parish.  '  Who  are  the  dissatisfied 
ones?1  he  asked.  They  did  not  care  to  mention  any 
names ;  but  thought  there  was,  among  many,  an  under- 
current of  unrest  which  boded  no  good.  Some  of  the 
best  supporters  of  the  church  might  fall  away.  'Who 
are  the  satisfied  ones  ? '  he  asked.  *  The  most,  of  course, 
seem  to  be ;  only  some  of  us  do  not  like  to  hear  every 
Sunday  about  the  disturbing  topics  of  which  the  week 
is  full.'  'Well,'  said  Dr.  Stebbins,  'I  know  one  person 
who  is  satisfied  that  the  minister  is  doing  his  duty,  and 
that  is  Horatio  Stebbins ;  and  as  long  as  he  feels  this, 
such  sermons  will  be  preached.'" 

In  1864  Dr.  Stebbins  received  an  attractive  and 
earnest  call  to  the  church  in  Springfield.  He  had  a 


26  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

•% 

great  fondness  for  that  city,  and  it  at  first  tempted 
him,  but,  after  considering  all  the  circumstances,  he 
felt  that  it  was  his  plain  duty  to  stay  by  his  Portland 
church,  and  he  declined  the  honor.  When  he  attended 
the  high  school  hi  Springfield  he  was  chore  boy  in  the 
home  of  Mr.  George  Dwight  and  became  much  at- 
tached to  the  family.  After  declining  the  call  he  wrote 
to  Mrs.  Dwight,  his  almost  lifelong  friend : 

Portland,  March  14,  1864 
MY  DEAR  MRS.  DWIGHT, 

Shall  I  pour  into  your  ear  the  story  of  my  lovesick 
heart?  I  know  you  will  listen,  and  pity  all  my  weak- 
ness and  soothe  my  pain. 

The  invitation  of  the  parish  at  Springfield  quite 
flooded  me.  The  past  all  rushed  in  on  me  and  carried 
me  away.  The  thought  of  going  in  my  mature  youth 
to  be  he  religious  counselor  of  men  whom  I  obeyed  as 
a  servant :  the  possibility  that  I  might  sit  at  their  bed- 
side to  talk  of  eternal  things,  when  the  world  was  sink- 
ing into  the  gray  mist,  quite  unmanned  me,  in  view  of 
the  ways  of  Providence  and  its  guidance  of  me.  I 
believe  in  my  soul  there  was  not  a  particle  of  conceit, 
but  tears,  and  humility,  and  love,  and  gratitude.  I 
have  come  within  an  inch  of  going  to  Springfield,  but, 
when  I  put  the  question  to  my  deliberate  moral  judg- 
ment, I  could  not  find  a  sufficient  cause.  I  have  writ- 
ten to  Mr.  Chapin  declining  the  invitation.  I  know 
how  deeply  you  and  Mr.  Chapin  will  regret  it,  but  I 


FITCHBURG  AND  PORTLAND     27 

beg  of  you  to  offset  your  disappointment  by  a  thought 
of  the  conflict  in  my  own  heart.  How  glad  I  was  to  see 
Mr.  Dwight!  Will  he  ever  come  again?  Will  the 
Springfield  people  ever  want  to  see  me  again  ?  I  hope 
they  will.  Now  that  is  all  over,  let  me  assure  you  again 
and  again  of  my  frequent  thoughts  and  undiminished 
love.  HORATIO 

The  Portland  years  of  ministry  were  happy  and 
prosperous.  Horatio  Stebbins  steadily  grew  hi  favor 
and  in  power.  The  parish  had  always  enjoyed  able 
ministers  and  high  standards,  and  it  was  more  than 
satisfied  with  his  service.  The  period  was  not  without 
its  difficulties.  At  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War  trying 
problems  presented  themselves,  and  there  was  con- 
stant need  for  prompt  decision  on  new  issues.  Men 
were  troubled,  for  the  heavens  were  dark,  and  they 
were  called  to  act  where  they  were  in  doubt.  On  the 
Sunday  following  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter,  the  congre- 
gation found  the  pulpit  draped  with  the  American  flag. 
It  disturbed  and  shocked  some  of  the  more  conserva- 
tive. They  had  never  seen  a  flag  in  a  church,  and  they 
felt  that  it  was  out  of  place.  They  thought  the  minister 
indiscreet,  and  promptly  warned  him  of  the  danger  in 
raising  an  issue  that  had  nothing  to  do  with  religion. 
He  had  counted  the  cost,  but  his  religion  included 
loyalty  to  country,  and  the  flag  remained,  with  its 
full  significance. 

While  Horatio  Stebbins  was  supporting  the  cause  of 


a8  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

*\ 

the  Union  in  Far-East  Maine,  Starr  King  was  zeal- 
ously sustaining  the  same  cause  in  the  Far-West. 
Suddenly,  from  a  clear  sky,  came  a  thunderbolt  of 
dismay.  Starr  King  had  fallen  at  his  post,  as  much  a 
martyr  as  any  soldier  called  to  die  for  his  country.  He 
had  done  his  full  part.  California  was  loyal.  To  his 
denominational  brethren  the  loss  seemed  well-nigh 
irreparable.  A  stricken  church,  representing  a  great 
empire,  called  for  the  best  that  could  be  given  them, 
and  the  selection  of  the  man  who  could  supply  the 
loss  and  hold  what  King  had  gained  was  left  by  com- 
mon consent  to  the  recognized  leader  of  the  Unitarian 
denomination,  Dr.  Henry  W.  Bellows,  of  New  York, 
a  man  of  consummate  ability  and  discretion.  With  the 
full  approval  of  his  brethren,  he  fixed  upon  Horatio 
Stebbins  as  the  man  best  equipped  to  fill  the  vacant 
pulpit.  Within  thirty  days  Stebbins  had  accepted  the 
call  and  given  his  consent  to  a  momentous  change  in 
the  whole  course  of  his  life.  It  was  hard  to  leave  Port- 
land. The  people  were  dear  to  him.  They  had  appre- 
ciated and  stood  by  him  and  he  had  no  desire  to 
change,  but  he  felt  that  he  must  not  decline  a  clear 
duty  in  a  great  emergency,  whatever  regret  it  involved. 
Dr.  Bellows  went  to  San  Francisco  to  comfort  the 
people  and  prepare  the  way,  and  for  four  months  Dr. 
Stebbins  filled  the  pulpit  of  All  Souls'  Church  in  New 
York. 

On  the  i3th  of  August,  1864,  he  sailed  for  Cali- 
fornia by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  taking  the 


FITCHBURG  AND  PORTLAND     29 

oath  of  allegiance  on  the  way.  With  him  were  his  wife, 
their  two  children,  Mary  Louise  and  Roderick,  and  his 
wife's  sister,  Miss  Ellen  F.  Fisher.  They  had  an 
uneventful  passage  and  arrived  in  San  Francisco  on 
the  morning  of  September  7. 


CHAPTER  III 

WITH  THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  CHURCH 

IT  is  fitting  that  Dr.  Stebbins  should  be  allowed  to  tell 
the  story  of  his  reception  in  San  Francisco  and  his 
first  impressions.  Five  days  after  his  arrival  he  wrote 
to  Mrs.  Dwight: 

Here  we  are,  as  you  have  already  heard  by  the 
dispatch.  Our  voyage  has  been  prosperous,  with  only 
the  usual  toils  of  the  sea,  sickness  and  tedium.  First 
impressions  are  pleasant.  Of  course,  the  object  of 
first  interest  was  the  church.  It  is  beyond  my  ex- 
pectations, a  very  impressive  structure,  externally 
and  internally;  all  in  all,  the  finest  Protestant  preach- 
ing-house I  have  ever  been  in.  It  seats  fifteen  hun- 
dred people,  is  lighted  from  above,  has  a  very  fine 
pulpit  and  a  baptismal  font  of  singular  beauty,  indeed, 
of  impressive  art. 

Yesterday  morning  the  services  of  installation  were 
held,  and  were  attended  by  an  almost  vast  audience, 
hundreds  going  away  unable  to  gain  admission.  The 
intensest  interest  was  felt  by  the  people  to  see  the  man 
whom  they  had  taken  on  trust.  Many  I  noticed  weep- 
ing, as  I  went  in,  touched  by  memories  so  dear  and 
tender  as  have  rarely  clustered  around  the  name  of  any 
public  man.  It  was  a  trying  time.  I  went  through  it 


THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  CHURCH    31 

with  self-possession,  but  this  holding  the  heart  in  the 
teeth  is  hard  and  wearing,  and  I  am  glad  it  is  over, 
though  I  am  not  sorry  for  a  single  twinge  of  pain  my 
heart  has  borne.  I  never  felt  more  free  from  anxiety 
than  now.  The  people  were  evidently  put  to  rest  by 
the  morning  services,  and  they  breathe  free,  now  that 
they  take  up  the  journey  again.  I  preached  a  straight, 
simple  little  sermon,  which  my  wife  was  immensely 
delighted  with.  The  trustees  of  the  church,  and  the 
Governor  of  the  State  were  in  the  pulpit,  and  an  audi- 
ence before  me  of  plucky-looking,  come-if-you-dare, 
magnanimous,  tender-hearted  people.  General  Wilson 
(Long  Wilson)  was  there  and  after  the  service,  he 
shook  me,  and  blessed  me,  and  laughed  and  wept. 

Yours,  H.  S. 

The  First  Unitarian  Church  of  San  Francisco  dates 
back  to  1850.  In  the  marvelous  coming  the  year 
before  of  the  gold-led,  adventure-prompted  of  every 
land,  many  New  Englanders  were  numbered.  They 
formed  the  backbone  of  the  new  community,  and  were 
especially  active  in  the  commercial  and  mercantile 
life  of  San  Francisco.  It  happened  that  the  Reverend 
Charles  A.  Farley,  a  Unitarian  minister  formerly  in 
Maine,  was  in  the  city,  and  when  this  became  known 
to  a  group  of  pioneers  who  were  loyal  Unitarians  and 
had  pleasant  memories  of  church  gatherings  "at 
home,"  he  was  persuaded  to  hold  a  public  meeting  in  a 
hall  on  Sacramento  Street  above  Montgomery,  and 


32  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

an  advertisement  in  the  Alia  California  gave  notice  of 
Unitarian  religious  services  on  October  20,  1850.  In 
response  a  good  number  assembled,  probably  nearly 
all  men,  as  few  women  had  accompanied  their  hus- 
bands in  the  pursuit  of  a  fortune  assumed  to  be 
%  speedily  attainable.  Some  of  the  men  were  acquainted, 
while  others  met  for  the  first  time.  They  enjoyed  the 
simple  service,  which  was  like  a  breath  of  fresh  air  in  a 
sultry  day.  One  man  supplied  a  hymn-book,  another 
a  collection  of  tunes,  and  a  former  parishioner  of  Mr. 
Farley  led  the  singing  with  his  violin.  After  the  serv- 
ice twenty-five  men  remained  and  made  plans  to 
continue.  On  November  17  a  church  was  organized, 
and  Mr.  Farley  filled  the  pulpit  until  April,  1851, 
when  he  returned  to  New  England  and  services  were 
necessarily  suspended.  Two  severe  fires  discouraged 
immediate  effort,  and  it  was  January,  1852,  before 
a  fresh  start  was  made.  Then  a  lot  was  purchased, 
and  the  effort  to  secure  a  minister  began  by  corre- 
spondence. That  took  time  in  those  days,  and  it  was 
August  before  the  Reverend  Joseph  Harrington,  who 
had  accepted  the  call,  arrived  and  began  to  preach  with 
great  promise.  In  a  few  weeks  he  was  taken  seriously 
ill  and  on  November  2  he  died.  Correspondence  was 
resumed,  and  a  church  was  erected  on  Stockton  Street 
near  Clay  Street.  The  Reverend  Frederick  T.  Gray, 
of  the  Bulfinch  Street  Church,  Boston,  agreed  to  come 
to  California  for  a  year.  He  arrived  in  June,  1853, 
dedicated  the  church  soon  afterwards,  and  organized 


THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  CHURCH    33 

a  Sunday  School.  At  the  end  of  a  prosperous  year,  the 
Reverend  Rufus  P.  Cutler,  of  Portland,  Maine,  became 
the  minister  and  served  nearly  five  years.  The  Rev- 
erend J.  A.  Buckingham  then  filled  the  pulpit  for  about 
ten  months  until  the  arrival  of  the  Reverend  Thomas 
Starr  King,  who  had  received  leave  of  absence  for  a 
year  from  his  parishioners  in  the  Hollis  Street  Church, 
Boston.  He  was  not  in  rigorous  health,  and  hoped 
that  a  brief  visit  to  California  would  restore  him.  He 
entered  upon  the  work  with  interest  and  enthusiasm, 
and  aroused  immediate  ardent  response.  The  people 
flocked  to  the  church  in  great  numbers  and  their  sup- 
port gave  it  new  impulse  and  vigorous  life.  They  had 
been  a  struggling  handful.  The  church  was  in  debt  for 
twenty  thousand  dollars,  on  which  it  was  paying  inter- 
est at  one  per  cent  a  month.  Nothing  daunted,  Mr. 
King  threw  himself  into  his  arduous  work  with  resist- 
less vigor,  and  within  a  year  he  disposed  of  the  debt 
and  all  discouragement.  He  became  so  impressed  with 
the  opportunity  for  service  that  he  extended  his  term 
indefinitely. 

Then  came  the  Civil  War,  and,  when  he  added 
patriotic  leadership  to  his  exacting  church  duties,  he 
became  the  acknowledged  champion  of  national  loy- 
alty and  California's  foremost  citizen.  He  lectured  in 
all  parts  of  the  State,  aroused  the  people,  and  had  a 
large  part  in  cementing  a  sense  of  devotion  to  the 
Union  that  turned  the  scale  in  doubtful  California. 
He  was  active  politically,  and  supported  with  elo- 


34  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

quence  and  wit  those  who  represented  loyalty.  Se- 
cession thwarted,  he  turned  his  energy  to  sustaining 
the  Sanitary  Commission,  of  which  his  close  friend,  the 
Reverend  Henry  W.  Bellows,  was  the  head.  Under 
King's  brilliant  leadership  the  Pacific  Coast,  with 
half  a  million  people,  gave  to  the  Commission  $1,500,- 
ooo,  one  third  of  the  whole  amount  contributed.  The 
rest  of  the  Union,  with  34,000,000,  gave  $3,000,000, 
two  thirds. 

In  1863  King  devoted  much  time  and  energy  to 
raising  money  for  the  beautiful  church  on  Geary  Street 
near  Stockton  Street,  which  was  joyfully  dedicated  in 
January,  1864.  He  had  preached  only  seven  Sundays, 
when  he  was  attacked  with  diphtheria.  He  seemed  to 
have  no  power  of  resistance  and  breathed  his  last  on 
March  4,  confirming  a  premonition  that  he  would  not 
reach  the  age  of  forty.  The  City,  the  State,  and  the 
Nation  were  plunged  hi  grief.  He  was  mourned  and 
honored  in  a  degree  that  seldom  falls  to  the  lot  of  man. 
On  the  day  of  his  burial,  courts  adjourned,  after  extoll- 
ing his  merits ;  activities  ceased ;  and  from  the  fortifica- 
tions in  the  harbor  the  Government  authorities  ordered 
a  salute.  A  special  ordinance  was  passed  permitting 
the  interment  of  his  body  beside  the  church  which 
was  itself  a  real  monument  of  his  love,  that  passers- 
by  might  ever  be  reminded  of  his  service  and  sacrifice. 

Dr.  Stebbins  paid  this  tribute  to  his  predecessor  at 
an  early  anniversary:  " Thomas  Starr  King  is  the 
happy  name  of  one  of  the  most  interesting  men  that 


THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  CHURCH    35 

American  society  has  ever  known.  In  the  union  of 
solid  qualities  of  mind  with  brilliant  fancy  sparkling 
with  persuasive  oratory,  and  with  sincere  and  reverent 
feeling,  he  was  almost  without  a  peer,  and  perhaps 
never  surpassed.  His  place  during  the  Civil  War  gave 
his  life  and  influence  a  national  import,  and  made  his 
name  as  brilliant  as  the  day.  Amid  his  great  and  pure 
popularity,  there  was  not  a  touch  of  conceit,  but  he 
won  the  admiration  of  his  fellow-men  with  the  sweet 
simplicity  of  an  unconscious  child.  The  tendency  of 
popularity  is  often  to  lower  the  tone  of  thought  and 
action,  but  Mr.  King  was  popular  on  a  higher  plane 
than  any  other  man  of  his  generation.  He  had  a  kind 
of  homespun  sympathy  with  all  human  feeling,  that 
lifted  other  men  up  to  him,  rather  than  pulled  him 
down.  He  had  a  shrewd  knowledge  of  men  and  experi- 
ence and  was  at  home  with  a  hunter  in  the  mountains, 
as  in  the  brilliant  circle  of  literature,  philosophy,  and 
religion.  His  death  was  mourned  by  guides  at  the 
White  Mountains,  by  miners  in  the  Sierras,  by  soldiers 
in  the  army,  by  philosophers  and  legislators.  When  I 
came  here  to  the  church,  soon  after  I  had  landed,  in 
company  with  Henry  W.  Bellows,  it  seemed  to  me  as  if 
the  building  wept" 

Horatio  Stebbins  performed  an  act  of  great  heroism 
when  he  accepted  the  duty  to  succeed  Thomas  Starr 
King.  He  knew  well  what  it  implied  and  indulged  no 
self-satisfied  expectations.  He  knew  the  cost,  but  was 
not  concerned  with  anything  so  comparatively  unim- 


36  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

portant  as  self-interest,  or  so  unessential  as  personal 
success.  He  indulged  no  illusion  of  filling  Mr.  King's 
place.  He  stood  on  his  own  feet  to  make  his  own  place 
and  to  do  his  own  work  in  his  own  way,  with  such 
results  as  might  come,  and  he  was  undisturbed  and 
self-respecting. 

Horatio  Stebbins  had  striking  personality.  He  was 
a  strongly  marked  individual.  It  is  related  that  on  one 
occasion,  when  he  was  awaiting  the  arrival  of  a  mem- 
ber of  his  family  at  the  Oakland  Mole,  he  noticed  two 
men  furtively  watching  him.  Finally  they  approached, 
and  the  bolder  of  the  two  hesitatingly  addressed  him : 
"Excuse  me,  but  would  you  mind  telling  us  who  you 
are,  as  my  friend  and  I  have  made  a  bet  on  it  ?  "  They 
were  so  impressed  by  his  appearance  that  they  felt 
sure  he  was  somebody  of  importance. 

Dr.  Stebbins  once  took  me  with  him  on  a  May 
Meeting  pilgrimage  to  Boston.  One  evening  George 
William  Curtis,  admirably  presiding,  introduced  suc- 
cessively, Dr.  Hedge,  Dr.  Stebbins,  and  Dr.  Andrew  P. 
Peabody.  In  presenting  the  latter  he  related  an  inter- 
esting incident.  On  a  certain  Sunday  morning  young 
Peabody  had  supplied  the  Cambridge  pulpit.  As  the 
congregation  passed  out,  a  stranger  politely  asked  an 
evident  member  if  he  could  tell  him  the  name  of  the 
youthful  preacher  who  had  preached  so  fine  a  sermon. 
"That,"  replied  the  native,  "was  Andrew  Peabody." 
"Peabody,  Peabody?"  exclaimed  the  stranger,  "I 
was  sure  he  was  some  body." 


THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  CHURCH    37 

Dr.  Stebbins  once  met  was  never  forgotten.  His 
erect,  towering  form,  his  dignified  bearing,  his  strong 
face,  his  expressive  eyes,  his  polished  manner  arrested 
attention.  His  dress  was  not  ecclesiastical,  but  fitted 
his  calling  and  suggested  a  New  England  gentleman. 
It  seemed  never  to  vary.  In  the  pulpit  he  was  at  ease, 
with  no  evidence  of  self-consciousness.  He  seemed 
never  to  strive  for  effect.  He  was  reverent  in  manner, 
deeply  earnest,  but  never  excited  or  vociferous.  He 
expressed  his  inmost  feelings  and  his  full  thought, 
speaking,  as  he  was  wont  to  say,  from  the  level  of  his 
mind.  His  noble  voice  often  thrilled  with  deep  emo- 
tion, and  he  was  eloquent  in  the  best  sense,  but  nothing 
was  ever  assumed  for  effect.  He  spoke  straight  on, 
always  natural  and  true,  never  unduly  concerned  for 
immediate  results.  He  held  himself  to  strict  responsi- 
bility for  faithful  effort,  but  what  came  from  it  was 
beyond  his  control.  A  sentence  from  one  of  his  pub- 
lished prayers  embodies  his  deep  philosophy:  "Help 
us,  each  one  in  his  place,  in  the  place  which  is  provi- 
dentially allotted  to  us  in  life,  to  act  well  our  part  with 
consecrated  will,  with  pure  affection,  with  simplicity 
of  heart ;  to  do  our  duty,  and  to  leave  the  rest  to 
God." 

It  was  wholly  in  this  spirit  that  Dr.  Stebbins  took  up 
the  work  of  his  gifted  and  brilliant  predecessor.  He 
was  a  very  different  type  of  man,  less  magnetic,  more 
reserved,  in  comparison  even  severe,  with  a  strong 
emotional  nature  held  firmly  in  check.  He  had  little 


3  8  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

popular  charm.  He  was  independent,  original,  and 
of  marked  intellectual  power.  Those  who  did  not  know 
him,  or  who  tried  to  patronize  him,  thought  him  cold. 
He  was  incapable  of  pretense  and  could  not  assume 
fictitious  friendliness,  but  he  had  a  heart  that  throbbed 
with  sympathy  and  affection,  and  he  was  the  staunch- 
est  of  friends. 

Dr.  Stebbins  was  an  inspiring  preacher.  His  great 
faith  was  transfused,  reenforcing  that  of  his  hearers. 
The  strength  of  the  spirit  was  made  manifest,  and 
righteousness  was  held  up  as  reasonable  service.  His 
lofty  thoughts  were  clothed  in  language  of  great 
beauty,  poetic  in  imagery  and  majestic  in  diction.  His 
voice  was  rich,  full,  and  thrilling,  organ-like  in  quality. 
His  presence  was  deeply  impressive  in  its  calm  power 
and  reverent  simplicity.  Intellectual  honesty  was  ap- 
parent in  every  word,  as  he  spoke  the  truth  he  saw 
or  felt.  He  was  undisturbed  by  lack  of  appreciation. 
Such  results  as  popular  applause  and  admiring  throngs 
were  not  considered,  and  he  seemed  almost  distrustful 
of  a  crowd.  His  pulse  never  quickened  when  an 
occasion  quite  filled  the  church,  and  it  gave  him  no 
especial  satisfaction  to  have  Easter  marked  by  chair- 
filled  aisles.  He  preferred  the  ordinary  routine  serv- 
ice, calm  and  natural,  with  the  usual  congregation 
attentive  and  worshipful.  As  a  crowd  did  not  inspire 
him  to  special  effort,  so  a  scanty  audience  did  not 
depress  him.  Numbers  had  no  great  interest,  and 
he  smiled  indulgently  on  those  dependent  on  them. 


THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  CHURCH    39 

He  once  said  to  me,  "I  have  never  been  guilty  of 
counting  my  congregation."  He  was  by  no  means 
indifferent  to  approval  and  appreciation,  but  he  never 
depended  on  it.  He  moved  steadily  and  serenely, 
above  elation  at  popularity  or  dejection  at  apparent 
neglect.  He  was  never  given  to  complaint  and  never 
was  censorious.  His  people  were  never  scolded  for 
what  they  failed  to  do,  nor  prodded  to  immediate 
action.  He  was  long-minded  and  patient.  Nothing 
excited  him  to  passionate  denunciation  or  frenzied 
appeal.  He  never  stormed  at  sinners,  but  he  could  be 
appropriately  severe  and  never  failed  uncompromis- 
ingly to  denounce  wrong.  His  gospel  was  the  reality 
and  supremacy  of  the  spirit,  the  integrity  of  the  Uni- 
verse, and  the  beauty  of  holiness.  He  was  fearless  and 
free.  He  respected  man  and  he  trusted  God.  He 
sought  abundant  life,  and  he  walked  humbly,  in  faith- 
fulness and  honor.  He  commanded  complete  respect 
and  confidence,  and  as  time  went  on  he  gained  a  firm 
hold  on  the  affections  of  his  parishioners  and  the  regard 
of  the  community. 

It  was  remarkable  that  a  body  of  people  so  devoted 
to  King,  should  readily  accept  a  successor  with  so 
different  a  personality,  but  the  substitution  had  little 
effect  on  personnel  or  numbers.  Mr.  King's  best 
friends  became  the  strongest  supporters  of  Dr.  Steb- 
bins  and  the  church  went  steadily  on.  One  reason  for 
this  was  that  the  difference  was  more  apparent  than 


40  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

real,  more  superficial  than  essential.  Their  funda- 
mental message  was  the  same.  Their  idea  of  God,  their 
regard  for  man,  their  love  of  truth,  and  their  trust  in 
Goodness  were  the  same.  No  one  was  called  to  give 
up  accepted  faith  or  to  accept  new  and  strange  teach- 
ings. Differences  in  manner  or  manners  and  diversity 
of  gifts  were  unimportant,  and  the  unity  and  harmony 
of  the  church  was  undisturbed.  Again,  both  were  loyal 
to  the  denomination,  but  made  it  secondary  to  religion. 
Their  perspective  was  much  the  same,  and  to  both  the 
individual  was  responsible  to  God  as  a  human  being, 
and  not  as  a  church  member.  Dr.  Stebbins  looked 
askance  at  one  who  professed  religion  as  something 
special  and  uncommon.  He  ministered  to  humanity 
and  placed  manhood  first.  He  had  no  great  regard  for 
organizations  to  promote  mere  church  activity,  and 
was  somewhat  suspicious  of  people  who  were  anx- 
iously busy  and  restless.  He  had  little  sympathy  with 
the  specifically  institutional  church.  His  reliance  was 
in  the  spirit,  and  he  appealed  to  the  spiritual  power  in 
man  for  its  translation  into  life. 

He  sympathized  with  all  sorts  of  people  and  ap- 
pealed naturally  to  an  uncommonly  wide  circle  of 
individuals.  He  was  once  walking  with  a  lady,  one  of 
his  parishioners,  when  a  man,  shabby  in  appearance, 
bowed  effusively  and  asked  for  a  moment's  conversa- 
tion. When  Dr.  Stebbins  rejoined  the  lady  he  said: 
"It  seems  as  if  I  were  father-confessor  to  all  the 
broken-down  hackmen  in  town.  He  had  to  tell  me  his 


THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  CHURCH    41 

troubles.  He  is  doing  better,  but  sometimes  he  falls 
down."  The  incident  was  typical. 

When  Starr  Kingwason  his  death-bed,  self-possessed 
and  calm,  he  asked  that  no  indebtedness  should  remain 
on  the  new  church  building  to  harass  his  successor, 
but  that,  free  of  all  debt,  it  should  be  his  monument  — 
he  wanted  no  other.  Dr.  Stebbins  came  with  the 
understanding  that  this  had  been  done,  but  the  failure 
of  a  few  persons  to  meet  their  pledges  had  left  a  con- 
siderable sum  unpaid  and  the  situation  was  embarrass- 
ing. Dr.  Stebbins  felt  strongly  that  it  was  vital  for 
the  future  of  the  church  to  have  this  debt  paid.  This 
was  finally  accomplished,  and  the  necessary  effort 
resulted  in  a  fixed  policy  that  debt  should  not  be 
allowed  to  accumulate.  If  at  the  end  of  any  year  a 
deficit  develops  members  of  the  church  subscribe  the 
amount  needed  and  start  anew.  This  habit  has  had 
great  advantage. 

The  domestic  life  of  Dr.  Stebbins  was  very  beautiful. 
He  came  to  California  accompanied  by  his  wife,  al- 
ready, however,  in  broken  health,  and  a  dearly  loved 
son  and  daughter.  The  long  illness  and  the  death  of  his 
wife,  and  the  marriage  and  death  of  his  daughter  were 
severe  trials,  but  not  consuming  fires.  Paul  adjured 
the  Ephesians  "having  done  all,  to  stand."  Dr. 
Stebbins  did  all,  and  stood.  His  son  Roderick,  named 
for  his  beloved  brother,  was  a  great  comfort.  Their 
relations  were  always  close.  When  the  small  boy 
reached  the  church-going  age,  he  would  walk  home 


42  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

„.  «% 

holding  his  father's  hand.  One  day  his  father  had 
preached  from  the  text:  "I  and  my  Father  are  one." 
The  happy  boy  said:  "I  could  understand  that.  He 
and  his  father  were  one  just  as  you  and  I  are  one." 
Dr.  Stebbins  watched  the  education  and  development 
of  the  thoughtful  youth  with  deep  sympathy  and  was 
thankful  when  he  chose  the  ministry  as  his  life-work. 
Roderick's  early  settlement  in  Milton,  Massachusetts, 
was  a  great  satisfaction  to  him,  and  it  was  a  blessing  to 
be  near  him  in  the  closing  days  of  earthly  life. 

Dr.  Stebbins  was  at  first  domiciled  at  930  Clay 
Street,  above  Stockton  Street,  in  what  was  at  that  time 
a  favorite  residential  district.  In  1870  he  took  a  suit- 
able house  at  1 6  Ellis  Street,  which  he  occupied  for 
seven  years,  and  it  was  here  that  his  wife,  who  had 
long  been  in  failing  health,  died.  Her  sister,  the  chil- 
dren's "Aunt  Nellie,"  died  here  also.  Dr.  Stebbins 
then  removed  to  739  Bush  Street.  Here,  and  after- 
wards at  831  on  the  same  street,  he  lived  for  eight 
years,  and  then  settled  at  1609  Larkin  Street  to 
remain  seventeen  years,  until  he  went  back  to  New 
England.  During  all  his  long  residence  in  the  city  he 
occupied  only  rented  houses.  He  said  he  considered 
it  too  presumptive  of  permanency  for  a  minister  to 
buy  a  house,  even  if  he  could. 

He  thoroughly  enjoyed  hospitality.  He  took  delight 
in  having  his  friends  at  his  table,  and  his  wonderful, 
happy  table-talk  made  memorable  every  opportunity 
to  enjoy  it.  He  lived  well  but  frugally.  His  tastes  were 


THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  CHURCH    43 

simple  and  he  was  never  self-indulgent,  but  one  thing 
he  considered  essential :  he  wanted  to  keep  warm,  and 
delighted  in  a  wood  fire.  He  followed  the  inherited 
custom  of  New  England,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  year 
stored  his  basement  with  a  good  supply  of  cord-wood 
for  winter  use.  Sometimes  the  limited  size  of  his  grate 
fireplace  necessitated  short  lengths,  but  he  enjoyed  to 
the  full  what  he  could  get.  Another  simple  indulgence, 
from  which  he  derived  surprising  satisfaction,  was  a 
cup  of  tea  of  good  blend  well  brewed.  He  was  partial 
to  a  certain  brand  of  English  breakfast  tea,  generally 
had  it,  and  finished  his  cup  with  apparent  reluctance. 
I  recall  an  occasion  when  he  and  his  wife  were  the  first 
dinner  guests  of  a  friendly  couple  essaying  housekeep- 
ing. The  simple  dinner,  cooked  on  a  tiny  oil  stove,  had 
been  fairly  satisfactory,  and  when  the  cup  of  tea  was 
served  the  pains  taken  gained  rich  reward.  Tasting  it 
lingeringly,  he  turned  to  Mrs.  Stebbins,  saying,  with  a 
tone  and  emphasis  all  his  own, "  That,  my  dear,  is  a  cup 
of  tea/"  He  was  the  most  appreciative  of  mortals,  and 
the  most  courteous,  nor  did  he  reserve  his  courtly 
manners  for  friends  and  favorites.  He  was  as  polite 
and  considerate  to  his  cook  or  the  policeman  on  the 
beat  as  he  was  to  his  banker  or  the  queenliest  lady 
parishioner. 

I  remember  that  once,  when  he  returned  from  an 
Eastern  trip,  I  inquired  how  he  was  impressed  by  a 
man  whom  I  knew  he  had  met  He  shook  his  head  as 
he  said:  "I  was  disappointed  in  him;  I  heard  him 


44  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

speak  discourteously  to  a  cab-driver."  He  was  a  con- 
sistent democrat,  always  considerate  and  kindly,  and 
so  it  happened  that  rot  a  man  who  ever  sawed  wood 
for  him,  or  drove  his  hack,  or  checked  his  baggage, 
failed  to  be  his  admiring  friend. 

Dr,  Stebbins  was  a  very  tolerant  man.  He  seemed  to 
look  for,  and  find,  the  good  in  every  one,  but  there  were 
some  things  for  which  he  could  make  no  excuse ;  and 
he  was  capable  of  withering  scorn.  If  a  man  was  mean, 
if  he  abused  a  trust  for  personal  advantage,  he  need 
not  expect  to  go  unrebuked.  Dr.  Stebbins  could  be 
severe,  but  he  reserved  his  severity  for  occasions  when 
it  was  clearly  demanded.  He  measured  men  by  no 
petty  standard,  he  was  by  nature  generous,  he  recog- 
nized limitations  and  was  patient  with  mistakes,  but 
a  sneak  or  a  hypocrite  he  could  not  treat  with  com- 
placence. 

He  was  outspoken,  apt  to  say  what  he  thought,  and 
not  inclined,  even  at  a  funeral,  to  hold  back  what 
he  really  felt  and  believed.  He  reverenced  the  truth 
supremely,  and  had  no  tact  that  involved  dishonesty. 
He  never  sought  to  please  by  agreeing  with  what  was 
popular  but  doubtful.  His  integrity  was  fundamental. 

Dr.  Stebbins  was  not  only  an  able  preacher,  but  also 
a  most  sympathetic  minister.  To  those  bereaved  by 
death  he  brought  rare  power  of  comfort.  His  feelings 
were  deep  and  tender,  and  the  tone  of  his  voice  and 
the  clasp  of  his  hand  brought  assurance  of  sincerity 
and  love.  As  he  mourned  with  those  who  mourned, 


THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  CHURCH    45 

he  rejoiced  with  those  who  rejoiced.  At  a  wedding  he 
was  very  happy,  although  the  ceremony  was  always 
impressively  serious,  never  taken  as  a  matter  of  little 
importance. 

Dr.  Stebbins  was  a  noticeable  figure  on  the  streets 
of  San  Francisco.  He  was  an  inch  over  six  feet  in 
height,  well-proportioned,  well-dressed,  deliberate  in 
his  movements.  He  was  courteous  and  considerate, 
and  seemed  never  hurried  or  worried.  He  was  always 
ready  to  exchange  a  cordial  pleasantry  with  an  ac- 
quaintance, but,  as  he  had  not  a  retentive  memory  for 
people  he  had  merely  met,  and  never  assumed  a 
warmth  of  feeling  for  effect,  it  happened  sometimes 
that  with  no  basis  of  fact  he  was  thought  unresponsive. 

While  essentially  a  serious  man,  engrossed  in  his 
great  calling,  he  was  not  burdened  by  it.  He  loved  it 
and  was  at  peace  with  the  world  which  he  found  beau- 
tiful and  kindly.  He  met  its  trials  trustingly  and 
enjoyed  life  from  day  to  day.  In  moments  of  whole- 
some relaxation,  his  mind  played  with  ideas  and  he 
had  a  fund  of  characteristic  humor,  not  nimble  and 
trifling,  sometimes  even  ponderous,  but  always  kindly 
and  considerate.  He  was  often  playful  and  whimsical. 
Quaint  expressions,  apt  and  unexpected  figures  of 
speech  stored  from  his  boyhood  in  New  England,  or 
original  sayings  packed  with  wit  and  wisdom  made  his 
conversation  continuously  attractive.  The  side  of  his 
character  which  made  him  often  the  care-free  and 
delightfully  entertaining  center  of  a  group  of  friends 


46  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

was  unsuspected  by  strangers.  While  naturally  re- 
served and  dignified,  he  was  quite  capable  of  genial 
sportiveness. 

At  my  marriage,  in  1871,  he  was  an  invited  guest  It 
happened  that  I  had  chosen  the  daughter  of  devoted 
Presbyterians,  and  it  was  considered  proper  to  call 
upon  their  minister  to  officiate.  Dr.  Stebbins  gladly 
came,  and  added  to  the  enjoyment.  In  great  good 
humor  he  rallied  his  brother  minister.  "Never  mind, 
Mr.  H.,  you  shake  the  bush,  and  I'll  catch  the  bird." 
The  saying  was  not  intentionally  prophetic,  but  it 
proved  so. 

He  once  said  to  me,  speaking  in  frank  confidence  of 

one  we  both  greatly  respected, "  G is  an  absolutely 

honest  man.  It  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  be 
otherwise,  but  he  would  not  be  a  gentleman  if  he 
should  live  a  thousand  years.  He  takes  to  culture  as  a 
wild  boar  would  take  to  a  currycomb." 

He  was  friendly  with  a  contractor,  who  had  been 
greatly  perplexed  over  a  lawsuit  brought  against  him 
in  connection  with  the  construction  of  one  of  the  build- 
ings of  the  University  of  California.  Mr.  George  A. 
Nourse,  a  trusted  parishioner,  was  attorney  for  the 
contractor,  who  poured  out  a  tale  of  woe.  Dr.  Steb- 
bins listened  patiently,  and  then,  placing  his  hand  on 
his  friend's  shoulder,  said :  "Never  mind !  Nourse  and 
I  will  stick  to  you  as  long  as  you  have  a  cent."  The 
story  may  lose  in  the  telling,  but  the  answer  did  not 
fail  in  its  purpose. 


THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  CHURCH     47 

He  often  mingled  philosophy  with  his  humor.  One 
day  we  dined  together  at  a  poor  hotel  at  Merced.  He 
speared  a  potato  and  prepared  to  divest  it  of  its 
jacket,  but  it  proved  hopelessly  soggy.  He  eyed  it 
whimsically  and  turned  to  me,  and  said,  with  an  ex- 
pressive glance,  "Charles,  I  never  eat  a  potato  simply 
because  it  is  a  potato." 

While  Dr.  Stebbins  was  fond  of  nature  and  often 
aroused  to  truly  poetic  feeling  in  response  to  its  beauty, 
he  found  his  greatest  enjoyment  in  human  nature. 
Man  was  his  chief  interest,  and  when  he  came  back 
after  a  summer  vacation  he  was  much  more  likely  to 
recount  human  experiences  than  to  recall  grandeur  or 
loveliness  of  land  or  sea.  He  found  the  Yosemite 
Valley  tremendously  impressive,  but  I  think  that  he 
enjoyed  two  touches  of  human  nature  still  more.  One 
discovery  was  a  stage-driver,  a  real  character  who  evi- 
dently reciprocated  the  interest  he  aroused.  Dr.  Steb- 
bins shared  the  front  seat  with  him,  and  they  "talked 
horse"  almost  exclusively.  A  remark  of  Mr.  Horace 
Davis  disclosed  the  fact  that  his  companion  was  a 
clergyman,  whereat  the  driver  turned  and  asked, 
"Are  you  a  minister?"  The  doctor  replied,  "Yes, 
that's  what  I  am  when  I'm  at  home."  "  Well,"  rejoined 
the  driver,  "  I  don't  know  what  kind  of  a  preacher  you 
are,  but  there's  a  blamed  good  horse-man  spoiled." 

The  other  was  the  "remarks"  of  a  tourist  in  an 
ancient  hotel  register.  As  I  remember,  it  modestly 
read  something  like  this:  "John  Studebaker,  South 


48  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

„  ••» 

Bend,  Indiana,  president  of  Studebaker  Brothers,  who 
manufacture  twenty-four  complete  wagons  every  day ; 
six  hundred  every  month ;  seventy-two  hundred  every 
year !  —  And  yet  this  is  nothing,  compared  with  the 
wonders  of  the  Almighty  as  displayed  in  the  Yosemite 
Valley." 


CHAPTER  IV 

WIDER  SERVICE 

DR.  STEBBINS,  it  is  to  be  remembered,  came  to  Cali- 
fornia before  the  ending  of  the  Civil  War.  Thanks- 
giving Day  of  1864  gave  him  an  opportunity  to  express 
his  sentiments  on  the  grave  national  issues  of  the  day. 
His  text  was  from  Second  Samuel,  XL,  7  :  "David  de- 
manded how  Joab  did,  and  how  the  people  did,  and 
how  the  war  prospered."  His  discourse  was  greatly 
approved,  and,  in  accordance  with  the  request  of 
Governor  Low  and  others  presented  the  following 
morning,  it  was  published.  It  shows  a  sagacious  ex- 
amination of  immediate  conditions  and  has  especial 
interest  as  indicating  his  discerning  judgment  of  Lin- 
coln, a  judgment  amply  confirmed  later.  After  a  keen 
and  appreciative  analysis  of  Lincoln's  character,  it 
dosed  with  these  words : 

"When  I  say  this  of  a  President  of  the  United  States, 
assailed,  abused,  misrepresented,  hindered,  as  he  al- 
ways is,  by  those  who  have  no  office  but  to  speak  evil 
and  found  all  their  hopes  on  his  fall ;  when  I  say,  that, 
in  spite  of  all  this,  our  President  has  gained  hi  the  con- 
fidence and  respect  of  the  country,  I  award  to  him  the 
sublimest  honors  of  moral  victory  over  men  1  There- 
fore I  rejoice  in  him,  as  the  exponent  of  the  people, 
and  as  a  part  of  God's  providence  with  the  country." 


50  HORATIO  ST^BBINS 

On  April  23,  1865,  Dr.  Stebbins  again  delivered  a 
memorable  sermon  in  which  he  set  forth  the  essential 
moral  significance  of  Abraham  Lincoln's  life  and  char- 
acter. He  referred  to  the  special  characteristics  by 
which  obstacles  were  overcome  and  signal  achieve- 
ments reached.  He  found  in  him  "a  certain  theme  of 
mind,  a  fine  instinct  for  what  is,  and  a  belief  in  justice." 
And  he  continued,  in  sentences  here  somewhat  con- 
densed: "An  instinct  of  truth,  which  guides  as  surely 
as  attraction  holds  the  stars,  pervades  all  Mr.  Lincoln's 
thinking  and  all  his  jest  and  anecdote  and  drollery. 
It  is  the  quality  that  enables  him  to  state  just  what  he 
thinks  and  what  he  means.  The  principles  of  our 
government  and  the  nature  of  the  war  have  never  been 
stated  so  clearly  as  by  him,  and  no  man  has  seemed  to 
have  so  fair  and  consistent  a  record  as  he.  When  by 
events  he  came  to  administration  of  affairs,  he  took  no 
double  or  devious  course  and  no  backward  step.  No 
man  was  more  conscious  than  he  that  he  was  raised  up 
on  the  tide  of  events,  and  he  knew  that  all  his  power 
lay  in  the  spirit  of  the  time.  He  held  to  his  theme  so 
surely,  so  naturally,  that  events  not  only  guided  him, 
but  they  were  the  unfolding  of  his  own  convictions. 
As  a  natural  result  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  instinct  of  truth  he 
believed  in  man.  Never  was  a  man  more  in  sympathy 
with  the  people  or  more  completely  imbued  with  those 
ideas  of  social  justice  and  individual  rights  which  are 
the  spirit  of  our  institutions  and  their  only  ground  of 
right  to  be.  The  prevailing  political  faith  of  the  coun- 


WIDER  SERVICE  51 

try  in  past  years  has  been  a  stout  advocacy  of  liberty. 
There  has  been  no  persuasion,  strong  and  invincible, 
that  justice  is  a  component  part  of  the  idea  of  freedom. 
There  has  been  no  idea  in  this  country  of  freedom  as  a 
principle  of  conservatism  and  development.  Amid  the 
shock  of  civil  war  God  is  teaching  us  what  we  have 
been  slow  to  learn,  that  man  is  the  chiefest  thing  on 
earth.  To  raise  him  up  to  the  rights,  the  privileges,  and 
the  immunities  of  existence  is  the  great  purpose  of 
social  order,  and  the  government  which  is  not  filled 
with  that  purpose  has  no  right  to  be." 

Dr.  Stebbins  was  soon  in  demand  for  addresses 
before  various  organizations.  He  rested  satisfied  with 
no  perfunctory  performance,  but  always  had  some- 
thing of  real  value  to  say,  worth  the  hearing.  The 
Society  of  California  Pioneers  rejoice  in  and  glorify 
the  past,  harking  back  to  the  early  days  and  felicitat- 
ing themselves  on  their  pioneering.  In  September, 
1865,  he  addressed  them  and  said,  among  other  thing* 
well  to  heed : 

"Nothing  can  save  us  from  Spanish  decline  and 
Mexican  littleness  but  communication  with  the  world, 
that  rapid  and  sure  intercourse  with  human  society 
which  assimilates  the  interests  of  mankind.  We  must 
boldly  affirm  this,  not  in  lugubrious  strain  of  croaking, 
but  as  the  firm  ground  of  our  hopes  concerning  the 
growth  and  prosperity  of  our  State,  namely,  that 
the  powers  that  have  made  her  prosperity  thus  far 
have  done  their  best,  and  that  no  great  impulse  of 


p  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

human  affairs  denoting  permanent  progress  can  be 
felt  here,  until  the  great  highways  are  opened  over  sea 
and  land,  and  the  world  —  the  many-sided  industries, 
arts,  commerce,  and  literature  —  is  imparted  to  us." 

On  May  25, 1865,  Dr.  Stebbins  was  invited  to  make 
the  principal  address  at  the  dedication  of  the  magnifi- 
cent Mountain  View  Cemetery  at  Oakland.  It  was 
received  with  great  favor,  and  it  has  permanent 
worth  as  indicating  his  calm  and  trustful  view  of 
death  and  immortality.  He  expressed  the  conviction 
that  it  is  man's  distinction  and  the  privilege  of  intelli- 
gent faith  to  look  forward  with  composure  to  the  final 
dissolution  of  his  earthly  frame.  It  is  the  distinction  of 
his  nature,  elevated  by  religious  thought,  to  contem- 
plate death  as  an  event  in  life  and  no  accident  of 
chance,  nor  calamity  of  darkness.  It  is  permitted  to 
him  to  prepare  for  that  event  as  inevitable  though 
uncertain  in  its  date.  This  is  striking  testimony  to  the 
truth  that  life  is  moral  and  disciplinary. 

"The  moral  and  religious  import  of  death  is  that 
all  man's  labors,  enjoyments,  and  possessions  are  to  be 
pursued  and  held  as  subject  to  a  higher  power.  It 
mingles  the  Divine  Providence  in  the  daily  thoughts 
of  men,  urging  them  out  beyond  the  domain  of  time 
and  sense  to  the  realities  of  spiritual  existence.  Thus 
death,  by  its  constant  presence  in  human  life,  is  the 
great  teacher  of  man.  It  is  this  confidence  of  man  in 
a  never-ending  existence  that  not  only  saves  our 
human  lot  from  being  unendurable,  but  makes  exist- 


WIDER  SERVICE  53 

ence  cause  of  gratitude  and  joy.  In  the  light  of  this 
truth  every  man  can  thank  God  that  he  is,  and  the 
darkest  griefs  may  be  illuminated  by  hope,  the  heavi- 
est griefs  may  be  borne  with  patience,  and  defeated 
good  may  believe  that  its  promise  will  yet  be  kept." 

Among  the  adjustments  necessary  in  removing  to 
California  is  acquirement  of  the  requisite  composure 
to  meet  gracefully  an  earthquake  when  it  seeks  recog- 
nition. A  New  Englander,  through  long  experience, 
grows  immune  to  terror  from  electric  bolts.  He  is 
used  to  the  fateful  flash  from  above,  but  he  has  no 
experience  with  insecurity  from  below,  and  even  a 
slight  tremor  is  unnerving.  It  frequently  happens 
that  our  shocks  come  conveniently  in  the  night  when 
those  who  turn  pale  do  not  show  it,  or  where  the 
sufferer  recovers  in  pleasant  privacy,  but  sometimes 
he  is  compelled  to  exhibit  his  emotion  where  all  may 
see  whether  nerve  or  nerves  control.  The  earthquake 
of  October  8,  1865,  occurred  on  Sunday,  about  the 
time  of  dismissal  after  morning  service.  Those  who 
heard  Dr.  Stebbins  that  morning  were  singing  the 
closing  hymn.  A  sudden  tremble  increased  sharply. 
The  building  was  grasped  by  tremendous  power  and 
severely  wrenched.  Through  my  mind  flitted  the 
thought,  What  weakness  there  must  be  in  a  large 
unsupported  roof !  A  good  congregation  with  blanched 
faces  awaited  results.  It  was  a  moment  of  nervous 
terror,  which  would  have  quickly  passed  if  the  central 
pipe  in  the  organ  at  the  preacher's  right  had  not  top- 


,54  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

pled  from  its  place  and  vaulted  over  the  choir,  falling 
into  the  space  in  front.  That  was  enough.  No  one 
waited  for  the  benediction  or  other  formal  dismissal. 
The  church  was  emptied  with  great  promptitude. 
Many  were  soon  standing  in  the  street  with  hymn- 
books  still  in  their  hands.  A  startling  coincidence  was 
that  the  interrupted  hymn  was  a  paraphrase  of  the 
passage  from  Isaiah  portraying  the  end  of  all  things, 
when  the  elements  shall  melt  with  fervent  heat.  We 
held  evening  services  at  that  time,  and  for  the  last 
hymn  that  evening  Dr.  Stebbins  gave  out  the  one  left 
unfinished  in  the  morning.  We  sang  it  to  the  troubled 
end,  and  the  usurped  benediction  was  then  calmly 
pronounced. 

All  sorts  of  persons  called  on  Dr.  Stebbins  for  all 
sorts  of  service.  In  a  letter  of  that  pathetic  humorist, 
Samuel  L.  Clemens,  to  his  mother  at  St.  Louis,  written 
on  December  4,  1866,  he  says :  "I  am  thick  as  thieves 
with  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stebbins.  I  am  running  on  preach- 
ers now  altogether;  I  find  them  gay.  Stebbins  is  a 
regular  brick.  Whenever  anybody  offers  me  a  letter 
to  a  preacher  I  snaffle  him  on  the  spot."  From  the 
context  it  is  indicated,  that,  in  view  of  a  contemplated 
trip  to  New  York,  he  had  the  inspiration  to  take  letters 
of  introduction  to  ministers  there.  He  evidently  had 
special  designs  on  Dr.  Bellows,  and  called  on  Dr. 
Stebbins  to  secure  credentials.  What  he  goes  on  to 
write  bears  every  mark  of  the  source  of  its  inspiration. 
"I  shall  make  Dr.  Bellows  trot  out  the  fast  nags  of 


WIDER  SERVICE  55 

the  cloth  for  me  when  I  get  to  New  York.  Bellows  is 
an  able,  upright,  and  eloquent  man,  a  man  of  imperial 
intellect  and  matchless  power.  He  is  Christian  in  the 
true  sense  of  the  term."  What  a  difference  and  gain  to 
Mark  Twain  and  the  world  it  might  have  made  if  to 
the  chemical  content  of  his  soul  he  had  added  at  this 
time  a  liberal  infusion  of  the  fundamental  trust  and 
love  of  Stebbins  and  Bellows ! 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  San  Francisco 
church  had  stood  like  a  lone  lighthouse  on  the  Pacific 
shore  for  fourteen  years  before  Dr.  Stebbins  came,  and 
it  was  two  years  more  before  he  had  a  neighbor  nearer 
than  St.  Louis.  In  May,  1866,  he  went  to  Portland 
and  counseled  with  the  fine  group  of  people  who  had 
prepared  the  way  there  for  a  church.  They  raised 
twelve  hundred  dollars,  bought  a  lot  on  the  edge  of 
the  woods,  and  authorized  him  to  find  their  minister. 
He  corresponded  with  the  Reverend  William  G.  Eliot, 
of  St.  Louis,  and  with  his  son,  Thomas  L.  Eliot, 
then  about  to  enter  the  ministry.  In  December, 
1867,  when  the  chapel  was  completed,  the  worthy  son 
of  a  worthy  sire  came  out,  by  the  way  of  Panama,  to 
become  their  preacher.  At  that  time  we  were  experi- 
menting in  San  Francisco  with  theater  preaching, 
then  tried  out  generally,  and  we  held  successful  meet- 
ings at  the  Metropolitan  Theater.  The  audiences  were 
large  and  the  singing  led  by  our  devoted  basso, 
Wunderlich,  was  truly  "wonderful."  People  seemed 
to  like  it,  but  interest  fell  off  as  the  novelty  waned  and 


-56  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

they  showed  no  disposition  to  graduate  into  the  church. 
We  considered  it  not  worth  the  cost  and  trouble.  The 
experiment  is  connected  in  my  mind  with  the  sight 
one  Sunday  of  an  attractive  young  couple  in  a  promi- 
nent box  who,  I  found  on  inquiry,  were  the  Eliots  on 
their  way  to  Portland.  For  the  next  ten  years  the 
Portland  church  was  the  only  one  to  keep  us  company. 
In  1877  Los  Angeles,  Santa  Barbara,  and  San  Diego 
were  added  to  the  list. 

Up  to  1869  we  always  spoke  of  our  minister  as  "Mr." 
Stebbins,  for  he  was  not  one  to  allow  a  title  not  wholly 
and  regularly  authorized,  but  his  deserts  were  then 
recognized  by  Bowdoin  College  which  conferred  upon 
him  the  degree  of  D.D.,  Doctor  of  Divinity. 

On  one  matter,  at  least,  Dr.  Stebbins  had  a  well- 
settled  opinion  that  was  quite  at  variance  with  popu- 
lar prejudice.  He  was  not  at  all  in  sympathy  with  the 
Chinese  exclusion  legislation  and  he  never  missed  an 
opportunity  to  express  his  feeling  that  a  man  of  China 
is  still  a  man.  On  December  i,  1866,  a  banquet  given 
to  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company  was  attended 
by  leading  citizens  and  the  officials  of  the  company, 
and  also  by  the  Chinese  Consul  and  other  distinguished 
representatives  of  the  Orientals.  Captain  Eldredge, 
Governor  Stanford,  and  others  spoke.  To  Dr.  Steb- 
bins was  assigned  the  eighth  regular  toast:  "Com- 
merce the  Ally  of  Religion  and  Civilization."  Before 
his  formal  reply  he  said:  "I  but  reiterate  the  senti- 
ment of  every  man  here  when  I  express  the  pleasure 


WIDER  SERVICE  57 

I  feel  in  meeting  merchants  of  China  in  the  mutual 
exchange  of  good-will  with  merchants  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. May  that  interchange  never  cease,  so  long  as 
value  seeks  equilibrium  on  the  earth,  or  the  wind  of 
popular  liberty  rushes  to  fill  the  vacuum  of  despotism." 

He  had  further  opportunity  for  such  expression  in 
1868  at  the  remarkable  reception  given  to  Anson 
Burlingame  and  the  Chinese  Embassy  at  the  Lick 
House.  He  was  very  happy  on  such  occasions  when  he 
lifted  public  consideration  of  large  subjects  to  a  level 
of  statesmanship,  and  made  shuffling  politicians  seem 
contemptible  in  comparison.  He  was  greatly  respected 
by  broad-gauged  men  and  thinkers  in  public  life  and 
was  always  heard  with  attention. 

A  little  later  Japan  sent  an  Embassy  Extraordinary 
to  the  United  States.  The  distinguished  representa- 
tives were  royally  entertained,  and  the  culminating 
feature  in  San  Francisco  was  a  banquet.  Over  it  pre- 
sided the  Governor,  Newton  Booth,  and  among  the 
distinguished  speakers  was  Dr.  Stebbins.  His  brief 
but  stirring  remarks  aroused  enthusiasm,  and  also 
some  antagonism.  The  Bttlletin  account,  omitting  the 
introductory  words  and  the  frequent  interjection  of 
applause,  follows : 

"An  ancient  empire  outside  of  Christendom,  num- 
bering more  than  thirty  millions  of  souls,  with  a  civili- 
zation unique,  peculiar,  having  laws,  polity,  manners, 
and  religion  its  own,  standing  in  august  and  sullen 
grandeur  apart  from  the  general  movement  of  the 


58  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

world's  life,  with  a  history  running  back  to  the  earliest 
periods  of  recorded  time,  and  beyond  into  dim  twilight 
of  the  mythopeic  age ;  a  history  and  civilization  com- 
pared with  which  Christendom  itself  is  young,  even 
the  latest  child  of  time;  whose  royal  line  of  kingly 
blood  flowed  down  through  centuries  before  Caesar 
entered  England,  before  Moses  received  the  Law  in 
the  glory-smitten  heights  of  Sinai,  sends  forth  an 
embassy  of  peace  to  all  nations,  to  observe  the  arts, 
industries,  manners,  customs  of  the  modern  age ! 

"To  a  poetic  imagination,  it  seems  a  repetition  of  the 
ancient  story  of  the  wise  men,  the  astronomic  Magi, 
led  by  a  star  to  the  place  where  the  young  child  lay, 
for  that  star  still  leads  mankind  where  the  ages  are 
born,  and  stands  above  the  place  where  the  best 
thoughts  of  humanity  are  nurtured. 

"Hail !  illustrious  descendants  of  the  ancient  stock, 
inspired  with  wonder  and  desire !  The  motive  that 
impels  you  is  a  more  fragrant  gift  than  aromatic  spices, 
frankincense  and  myrrh !  Welcome  to  this  western 
shore  of  the  Western  World !  this  cradle  of  the  latest 
born  of  nations ! 

"  Governor,  the  manifest  suggestion  of  this  occasion 
is  the  vast  appliances  of  intelligence  which  have  been 
made  within  the  last  century  to  overcome  the  ob- 
stacles of  time  and  space,  and  which,  while  they  per- 
fect the  earth  as  the  abode  of  man,  make  such  a  meet- 
ing as  this  possible.  Vast  mountain  chains,  which 
presented  impassable  barriers  between  nations  and 


WIDER  SERVICE  59 

races,  have  been  dissolved  by  noble  engineering,  and 
the  sea,  '  that  flaw  in  the  planet/  no  longer  separates 
the  nations.  Floating  bridges  swing  on  it  through 
all  the  latitudes,  binding  the  peoples  of  the  earth 
together  in  a  common  destiny.  Our  transcontinental 
road,  together  with  the  Suez  Canal,  has  practically 
annihilated  one  third  of  the  periphery  of  the  globe, 
and  there  are  those  here  who  shall  not  taste  death 
before  the  magnetic  current  shall  be  made  complete, 
and  the  spark  of  human  intelligence,  unquenched  by 
multitudinous  waters,  shall  report  itself  around  the 
earth  in  advance  of  the  sun ! 

"The  inner  idea  of  this  vast  conquest  is  the  unity 
and  ultimate  perfectibility  of  the  human  race.  Com- 
merce, which  is  the  inspiration  of  man's  noblest 
achievements  over  nature,  is  simply  the  expression 
of  the  mutual  dependence  of  mankind ;  the  reamrma- 
tion  of  that  which  divine  philosophy  teaches,  that  no 
man,  no  community,  no  nation,  no  race,  can  fulfill 
its  destiny  in  an  exclusive  and  isolated  life.  As  the 
globe  is  a  unit  of  organism,  holding  every  island,  sea, 
and  continent  in  one  organic  whole,  so  Commerce, 
which  is  the  expression  of  the  mutually  dependent  life 
of  mankind,  draws  the  populations  of  the  earth  by  the 
attraction  of  common  want  and  a  common  end.  Al- 
ready the  exclusive  system  gives  signs  of  modification 
under  the  benign  influence  of  well-regulated  interests 
and  mutual  regards.  From  henceforth  no  exclusive, 
isolated,  independent  civilization  can  endure.  Before 


6o  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

the  spirit  of  the  age  its  adamantine  walls  are  dust  that 
vanishes  at  a  breath. 

"One  word  more!  Nobody  is  here  but  ourselves, 
and  that  one  word  I  will  say.  We  here  are  providen- 
tially placed  in  near  relation  with  these  exclusive 
civilizations.  The  changes  wrought  by  transcontinen- 
tal communication  have  changed  forever  the  area  of 
commercial  distribution  for  this  city.  We  can  never  do 
the  business  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  and  probably 
we  shall  not  extend  our  inland  commercial  area 
beyond  the  summit  of  the  great  mountain  chain.  To 
compensate  for  that,  we  must  gather  up  the  islands  of 
the  sea  and  push  our  trade  to  the  unnumbered  popu- 
lations of  the  Asiatic  world.  But  our  position  is 
anomalous.  While  we  are  here  to-night,  wooing  the 
commerce  of  old  empires,  you,  Governor,  as  the  rep- 
resentative of  one  political  party,  and  ex- Governor 
Haight,  as  the  representative  of  the  other,  are  com- 
mitted to  a  policy  to  exclude  these  people  from  our 
shores!  The  position  is  absurd  and  ridiculous.  As  a 
policy,  it  is  nonsense ;  as  a  principle,  it  is  nowhere.  It 
is  rag-tag  and  bob-tail.  If  any  of  you  cheap  politicians 
have  won  a  penny  by  it  in  the  passions  of  an  hour, 
beware  when  you  put  that  penny  in  your  purse,  lest 
the  eagle  on  the  reverse  of  your  coin  stick  his  talons 
through  and  clutch  the  face  of  liberty !" 

The  account  says  "prolonged  applause,"  but  it  was 
a  daring  challenge  to  the  political  leaders,  and  a 
rebuke  to  the  politicians  that  they  little  enjoyed. 


WIDER  SERVICE  61 

Dr.  Stebbins  was  deeply  touched  and  severely 
tested  by  the  death  of  his  very  dear  brother,  Randolph, 
in  1870.  His  grief  was  profound.  On  April  24  he  wrote 
to  his  half-brother  in  New  England : 

DEAR  CALVIN, —  I  am  wading  heart-deep  through 
my  griefs,  and,  although  I  almost  lose  my  breath 
sometimes,  I  keep  on  my  feet.  I  am  anxious  to  learn 
all  little  details  of  the  family  and  the  burial,  even  to  the 
very  color  of  the  fresh  clean  earth  that  received  his 
precious  body  to  its  kind  embrace.  Did  you  pray  at 
the  funeral?  I  don't  know  whether  I  could  if  I  had 
been  there,  but  my  heart  longs  to  mingle  and  flow  in 
the  common  stream  of  fraternal  sympathy.  Never 
was  sight  of  Immortality  so  dear  as  it  is  now,  and 
never  have  so  great  consolations  soothed  my  aching 
breast.  Yet  my  morning  hours  have  a  strange  sense 
of  loneliness,  as  if  the  very  sunbeams  were  withdrawn 
from  the  day,  and  my  night-watches  are  as  if  the  whole 
universe  of  worlds  were  still.  This  eclipse  of  earthly 
brightness  reveals  the  eternal  spaces  as  no  midday 
splendor  can,  and  I  am  impressed,  inspired,  and 
encouraged  by  the  thought  of  the  vast  unknown  and 
unquarried  truth  that  lies  in  the  abysses  of  our 
nature.  Neither  the  height  of  the  stars,  nor  the  depth 
of  the  earth  can  measure  it  What  a  power  is  this 
personality,  into  communion  with  which  we  have  been 
so  tenderly  brought!  How  it  sways  my  heart,  away 
across  the  world,  giving  me  some  conception  of  the 


62  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

Infinite  personality  whose  inspiration  is  the  life  of 
all  intelligence  and  whose  power  sustains  all  things. 

Three  days  later  he  writes : 

MY  DEAR  CALVIN  :  Yours  came  this  morning.  It  is  a 
great  comfort  to  read  your  tender  story  of  grief.  In 
Randolph  we  have  been,  and  are,  indeed,  blessed. 
Though  there  seems  something  gone  from  the  very 
air  of  my  daily  life,  I  yet  feel  as  if  something  new  had 
come  to  me  in  the  depth  of  my  affection  and  the 
serenity  of  my  love.  How  the  words  of  Christ  are  ful- 
filled. "If  I  be  lifted  up,  I  shall  draw  all  hearts  unto 
me !"  I  had  a  very  full  letter  from  Roderick  [his  elder 
brother]  three  days  ago.  He  is,  as  you  say,  the  ap- 
pointed consoler  of  us  all,  an  angel  of  God,  and  divine 
messenger.  When  I  think  of  his  sorrows,  and  his 
broken  life,  my  heart  aches,  and  loves  its  aches,  for 
him.  Do  write  to  him  often,  Calvin,  and  keep  bright 
the  chain  of  fraternal  love.  You  speak  of  Luanda's 
grief.  Tell  her  to  be  comforted  by  sorrow  itself,  and, 
in  the  pain  of  earthly  ties  sundered,  to  learn  the  joy  of 
self-loss.  If  I  could  only  sit  down  by  your  side,  O 
unconquerable  space !  HORATIO 

On  May  18,  he  wrote  again :  "Your  little  reference 
to  Randolph's  grave  is  comforting.  I  have  stood  there 
in  imagination  at  sunrise  and  sunset  and  midday.  I 
have  walked  through  the  meadow  and  orchard,  and 
lain  down  on  the  green  grass  and  wept.  I  have  risen 


WIDER  SERVICE  63 

up  from  the  earth  with  strength  and  peace,  and  found 
the  way  of  duty  full  of  comfort  and  eternal  power." 

In  October  he  mentions  to  his  brother  that  he  has 
been  under  the  pressure  of  considerable  personal  trial 
in  the  affliction  of  friends,  and  adds :  "  Since  Randolph 
died,  it  has  seemed  as  if  the  sorrows  of  men  were  laid 
on  me  with  redoubled  weight,  and  that  God  would 
make  me  minister  to  an  innumerable  company  of 
broken-hearted.  I  am  so  poor  in  all  perfunctory  ways, 
and  so  incapable  of  conventional  methods  of  ministra- 
tion, that  every  human  experience  seems  to  fall  on  my 
naked  heart.  Don't  think  I  am  sentimental  or  weak : 
I  enjoy  the  pain,  and  bear  glad  testimony  of  its 
superiority  to  the  flesh." 

Dr.  Stebbins  was  uncomplaining,  but  he  must  have 
suffered  from  loneliness  in  the  lack  of  ministerial 
association.  He  saw  few  ministers  of  his  own  faith. 
Occasionally  one  came  to  the  Coast  for  a  brief  period 
of  sight-seeing,  and  the  most  was  made  of  such  visits, 
but  they  were,  like  other  angels'  visits,  few  and  far 
between.  In  the  meantime  he  had  practically  no  pro- 
fessional intercourse.  There  were  a  number  of  more  or 
less  liberal  individuals  among  the  orthodox  clergy, 
but  for  the  most  part  they  held  aloof.  His  attitude 
was  decidedly  friendly.  He  was  never  antagonistic, 
and  never  indulged  in  controversy  or  attack,  but 
friendliness  in  return  was  apparently  more  than  he 
could  expect.  The  Catholic  representatives  seemed 
more  inclined  to  fraternize  with  him  than  others. 


64  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

Dr.  Stebbins  had  respect  for  the  opposite  pole  of  his 
faith,  and  felt  that  there  was  no  logical  ground 
between  a  church  of  reason  and  a  church  of  authority. 
That  he  was  willing  to  do  his  part  in  maintaining 
friendly  relations  is  established  by  an  incident  revealed 
after  his  death. 

Dr.  George  C.  Adams  was  the  minister  of  the  First 
Congregational  Church  of  San  Francisco  when  Dr. 
Stebbins  died,  and  he  sent  to  the  Congregationalist  a 
touching  tribute.  He  related  the  courtesy  and  kindli- 
ness of  a  prompt  call  made  by  Dr.  Stebbins  when 
Adams  came,  a  stranger  to  the  city.  The  cordial  wel- 
come had  given  him  courage  and  confidence.  Soon 
afterward  Dr.  Stebbins  accepted  an  invitation  to  a 
reception  given  by  the  Congregational  Church.  Sev- 
eral other  ministers  had  referred  in  their  addresses  to 
the  ministers  present  who  represented  various  other 
churches,  but  all  stopped  short  before  they  reached 
mention  of  the  Unitarian.  It  was  very  noticeable  and 
the  discourtesy  made  the  audience  uncomfortable. 
Finally  Dr.  Stebbins  was  called  upon  to  speak.  He 
gave  no  indication  of  having  felt  any  slight.  "He  rose 
and  spoke  so  ably  and  on  so  much  higher  ground 
than  had  been  taken  by  any  other  speaker  that  the 
audience  were  charmed.  He  made  without  question 
the  best  address  of  the  evening."  Dr.  Adams  added : 
"His  influence  was  great,  his  integrity  was  unques- 
tioned, and  people  of  every  faith  and  no  faith  believed 
in  him,  and  knew  he  was  like  the  Master." 


WIDER  SERVICE  65 

It  was  a  red-letter  day  when  men  of  his  own  faith 
stood  by  Dr.  Stebbins  in  his  pulpit,  and  whatever 
their  high  reputation  in  the  church  might  be,  we  had  a 
feeling  that  he  never  suffered  in  comparison.  In  the 
long  course  of  Dr.  Stebbins's  service  he  welcomed  and 
entertained  most  of  the  Unitarian  leaders,  and  others. 
I  recall  Peabody,  Furness,  Eliot  of  St.  Louis  and 
Eliot  of  Cambridge,  Hale,  Chadwick,  Savage,  Joseph 
Henry  Allen,  Fenn,  Williams,  Camp,  Alger,  and 
many  others.  Dr.  Stebbins  was  a  flattering  host.  He 
was  happy  in  having  his  friends  around  him,  and  the 
atmosphere  of  his  home  was  delightful. 

Dr.  Stebbins  heartily  enjoyed  the  visit  of  Ralph 
Waldo  Emerson  in  April,  1871,  when  he  came  with  his 
daughter  in  company  with  Mr.  John  M.  Forbes,  of 
Milton.  Mr.  Emerson  was  delightfully  simple  and  un- 
assuming, prepared  to  be  pleased  with  all  he  saw.  He 
visited  the  Geysers  and  the  Yosemite  Valley,  which  he 
felt  was  one  of  the  few  things  "that  came  up  to  the 
brag."  One  Sunday  evening,  to  our  great  satisfaction, 
he  read  his  essay  on  "Immortality."  In  the  thought 
that  a  course  of  his  lectures  would  be  appreciated,  Mr. 
Horace  Davis,  who  had  visited  him  at  Concord,  and  I 
called  on  him  at  the  Occidental  Hotel  to  gain  his  con- 
sent. His  daughter  had  put  a  few  lectures  in  their 
trunk,  thinking  they  might  be  called  for,  and  he  was 
glad  to  accommodate  us.  The  lectures  were  given  at 
his  convenience,  between  trips.  The  first  audiences 
were  good,  but  curiosity  seemed  to  be  the  leading 


66  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

motive  of  attendance,  for  toward  the  end  the  audiences 
dropped  off,  whereat  Dr.  Stebbins  remarked:  "I 
thought  the  people  would  tire  in  the  sockets  of  their 
wings,  if  they  tried  to  follow  him."  Emerson  was  very 
friendly  and  approachable.  He  went  over  the  church 
with  interest,  and  was  particularly  pleased  with  an 
upper  chamber  over  the  Sunday-School  room  that  Mr. 
King  had  provided  as  a  refuge  from  the  over-persist- 
ent. He  remarked,  with  his  gentle  smile,  "I  think  I 
should  like  a  study  beyond  the  orbit  of  the  chamber- 
maid." We  paid  him  for  his  lectures  in  twenty-dollar 
gold  pieces,  the  first  he  had  ever  seen. 

Mozoomdar,  the  Hindoo  reformer,  was  another 
lovable  personality,  who  impressed  us  all  very  favor- 
ably. It  was  a  memorable  evening  when,  in  Dr. 
Stebbins's  parlor,  he  seated  himself  on  the  floor  in 
his  native  fashion,  and  we,  a  stiff-kneed  and  perverse 
generation,  attempted  to  unbend  and  follow  him. 

Dr.  Stebbins  had  unbounded  admiration  for  Dr. 
Hedge,  and  expressed  his  esteem  and  regard  on  many 
occasions.  In  a  letter  to  his  brother  Calvin,  written 
early  in  his  settlement  in  San  Francisco,  he  says:  "I 
have  read  Hedge's  address  in  the  Examiner.  How 
mightily  it  sounds  away  here !  Well,  he  is  the  man  of 
us  all.  I  think  he  is  so  much  ahead,  as  to  have  no 
second."  Many  years  afterward  Dr.  Hedge  came  to 
the  Pacific  Coast,  and  it  was  a  great  satisfaction  for 
the  two  to  meet. 

On  March  9,  1873,  Dr.  Stebbins,  at  the  conclusion 


WIDER  SERVICE  67 

of  his  sermon,  spoke  with  great  tenderness  in  memory 
of  a  fellow-minister,  Dr.  Joseph  Henry  Allen  of  North- 
borough,  Massachusetts,  who  had  died  February  20, 
aged  eighty-four  years.  Dr.  Allen  was  the  beloved 
minister  of  the  family  of  Mr.  Stebbins.  His  active 
ministry  extended  over  a  period  of  more  than  fifty 
years,  and  his  life  seemed  to  Dr.  Stebbins  like  a  con- 
necting link  between  the  present  and  the  former  age, 
one  of  the  class  of  men  who  kept  alive  the  ideal  of 
Goldsmith's  Village  Preacher.  He  spoke  of  him  as  an 
important  part  of  the  life  of  that  lovely  New  England 
town,  a  man  of  great  simplicity,  whose  desires,  sub- 
dued to  reason  and  conscience,  gave  him  great  re- 
sources of  content  and  peace. 

"As  a  preacher  he  handled  the  Word  of  God  with 
that  reverent  and  devout  good  sense  which  makes  it 
daily  bread  to  men.  As  a  counselor  and  friend,  he  was 
wise,  tender,  and  true.  As  a  guardian  of  public  edu- 
cation, he  placed  the  schools  in  the  foremost  rank  of 
the  time.  In  social  intercourse  he  was  the  life  of  every 
circle,  and  gave  to  manners  a  tone  of  intelligence  and 
refinement.  His  fine  taste  for  gardening  and  the  cul- 
ture of  fruit  and  ornamental  trees  formed  his  appro- 
priate recreation  and  made  the  parsonage  and  the 
village  church  lovely.  His  household  was  ordered  with 
that  consummate  discretion,  independence  of  mind  and 
feeling,  genial,  urbane,  affectionate  spirit,  that  make  a 
house  a  home:  and  with  that  unprepared,  yet  ever- 
ready,  open-door  hospitality  that  causes  its  light  to 


68  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

shine  upon  all.  How  many  have  been  cheered  by  that 
light!  How  many  have  been  encouraged  by  its  shin- 
ing and  warmed  by  its  glow !" 

As  Dr.  Allen  illustrated  for  Dr.  Stebbins  the  life  of 
a  New  England  parish  minister,  so,  in  an  address  given 
in  the  same  month  of  March,  1873,  in  memory  of 
Judge  Oscar  Lovell  Shaf ter,  of  the  California  Supreme 
Court,  he  summed  up  the  characteristics  of  a  remark- 
able jurist ;  and  this  address,  like  the  other,  indicates 
the  trend  of  Dr.  Stebbins's  mind  and  his  recognition 
of  those  qualities  which  make  the  highest  types  of 
human  character. 

After  noting  Judge  Shafter's  practical  ability  —  his 
energy,  good  sense,  and  integrity  of  nature  —  he 
analyzed  his  intellectual  and  spiritual  perceptions. 
He  said : 

"He  had  that  appreciation  of  the  law  of  laws,  the 
unity  and  generalization  of  truth,  that  gives  moral 
dignity  to  the  intellect  and  the  perspective  of  moral 
dignity  to  all  principles.  When  theories  of  deep  human 
interest  were  touched,  his  mind  kindled  along  its  sum- 
mits with  fine  enthusiasm  of  poetic  feeling  and  insight. 
He  did  not  belong  to  that  class  of  minds  always  em- 
phatic never  forcible;  neither  to  that  other  class, 
"small  pot  soon  hot,"  whose  enthusiasm  is  in  the 
blood  and  not  in  the  idea.  His  mind  sometimes  lay 
calm,  silent,  sullen  as  the  summer  sea,  and  rolled  with 
sleepy  strength,  and  in  all  the  manifestations  of  his 
intellectual  activity  there  was  something  of  that  re- 


WIDER  SERVICE  69 

pose  which  is  the  measure  of  reserved  power  and  the 
background  of  all  greatness.  His  religious  faith  was 
simple  and  human.  He  arrived  at  his  conviction  of  the 
character  of  God  from  the  nature  of  man  and  the 
experience  of  human  lif e.  He  inferred  that  justice  is 
God's  justice,  that  mercy  is  God's  mercy,  that  love  is 
God's  love ;  and  that  the  expression  of  these  in  human- 
ity is  the  expression  of  the  divine.  I  think,  in  com- 
mending himself  to  the  Almighty  maker  of  men,  he 
would,  in  the  devout  simplicity  of  his  heart,  have  for- 
gotten all  the  honors  and  respect  he  enjoyed  from  his 
fellow-men,  and  thought  only  that  he  was  a  man." 

I  hardly  dare  allude  to  the  generosity  of  Dr.  Steb- 
bins's  judgment  and  the  boundless  kindness  that  year 
after  year  added  to  my  debt  of  obligation  and  love. 
At  a  time  of  deep  trial,  his  tenderness  and  sympathy 
were  a  great  blessing.  When  he  had  done  all,  he  begged 
me  to  promise  to  dine  with  the  family  at  least  once 
every  week.  For  seven  years  it  was  my  happy  privi- 
lege to  share  Friday's  dinner.  When  I  married  again, 
he  said  they  must  release  me  from  the  regular  routine, 
but  that  I  must  come  and  bring  my  wife  often,  and 
that  they  should  expect  me  once  a  week  for  luncheon. 
Then,  for  eight  years,  as  long  as  he  remained  in  Cali- 
fornia, I  shared  weekly  a  happy  luncheon  with  his 
family.  What  honor !  What  blessing !  Nor  was  I  the 
only  favored  one.  For  years  a  widow  and  her  two 
daughters  shared  another  weekly  dinner,  and  several 
bachelors  were  regularly  expected  at  breakfast,  lunch- 


70  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

eon,  or  dinner.  Dr.  Stebbins's  home  and  his  heart 
were  open  to  many,  and  he  made  them  feel  that  they 
were  giving  as  much  as  they  were  receiving.  His 
abounding  generosity  was  a  great  source  of  power  and 
influence. 

It  was  not  from  lack  of  opportunity  that  Dr.  Steb- 
bins  did  not  leave  his  western  parish  after  a  brief 
term  of  service.  He  received  many  calls  to  return  to 
the  attractive  East,  all  of  which  he  respectfully  de- 
clined. In  1873,  a  second  attempt,  in  behalf  of  the 
church  in  Cambridge,  gave  the  San  Francisco  parish 
occasion  to  express  its  sentiments.  On  January  28, 
at  a  meeting  of  the  congregation  an  address,  prepared 
by  Horace  Davis,  moderator  of  the  church,  was 
unanimously  adopted,  signed  by  the  trustees  and 
three  hundred  and  fifty-six  members  within  easy 
reach,  presented  to  Dr.  Stebbins,  and  published  in 
the  Christian  Register.  From  the  first  Mr.  Davis 
was  the  steadfast  friend  and  supporter  of  the  suc- 
cessor of  Starr  King,  whom  he  had  dearly  loved. 
With  equal  loyalty  he  became  the  unfailing  right  hand 
of  Dr.  Stebbins,  who  valued  and  appreciated  him.  In 
this  earnest  plea  he  set  forth  the  urgent  need  of  San 
Francisco,  and  declared  that  Cambridge  ought  to 
allow  its  minister  to  continue  the  vitally  important 
work  he  had  successfully  begun.  He  referred  to  the 
deep  sense  of  the  value  of  his  ministrations  felt  by  his 
people,  their  personal  affection,  and  the  loss  to  the 
church  and  the  liberal  cause  that  would  follow  his 


WIDER  SERVICE  71 

departure.  Pledging  cordial  aid  and  support,  the  ad- 
dress concluded:  "As  you  esteem  our  love  and  con- 
fidence, we  pray  that  you  will  continue  your  ministra- 
tions among  us."  There  was  probably  less  danger  than 
they  apprehended.  Dr.  Stebbins  once  said  to  me:  "I 
have  had  but  three  parishes,  and  if  my  life  were  again 
before  me,  I  think  I  would  choose  to  have  but  one." 

Dr.  Stebbins  early  became  interested  in  the  College 
of  California,  which  graduated  its  first  class,  three  in 
number,  in  1864,  the  year  he  came.  It  was  located 
in  Oakland,  and  represented  large  hopes.  On  June  7, 
1865,  he  addressed  a  meeting  of  the  alumni,  and  the 
next  year  he  delivered  the  Commencement  oration. 
In  the  newspaper  English  of  the  period  it  was  pro- 
nounced "brief,  pertinent,  philosophical,  effectively 
delivered,  and  warmly  applauded." 

He  became  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees,  and 
later  was  elected  president  of  the  board.  He  was  influ- 
ential in  transferring  the  organization  and  property  to 
the  State  as  the  foundation  for  the  University  of  Cali- 
fornia, subsequently  located  at  Berkeley.  He  was  ap- 
pointed a  regent  for  the  State,  and  was  reappointed 
from  time  to  time  until  he  had  served  continuously 
for  twenty-six  years.  He  was  not,  himself,  a  minute 
scholar,  but  he  knew  the  means  of  scholarship  and 
was  without  doubt  completely  equipped  for  leadership 
in  formulating  and  sustaining  a  really  great  university. 
The  other  members  of  the  board  deferred  to  hirq  with 
advantage  to  the  cause. 


ys  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

Professor  William  Carey  Jones,  the  authority  on 
this  subject,  in  an  address  on  "The  Making  of  the 
University,"  says:  "As  I  have  studied  the  formative 
agencies  of  the  University  of  California,  I  have  come  to 
believe  that  above  all  others  the  mind  that  gave  large- 
ness and  character  to  the  university  movement  was 
that  of  Dr.  Stebbins.  The  College  of  California,  de- 
signed to  be  a  religious  but  not  sectarian  institution, 
was  popularly  believed  to  be  controlled  in  the  interest 
of  one  or  another  of  the  evangelical  churches,  but  its 
really  non-sectarian  character  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  Starr  King  and  later  Horatio  Stebbins  were  on  its 
board  of  trustees.  To  Dr.  Stebbins's  broad  vision  and 
surpassing  intellect  is  largely  due  the  realization  of  a 
University  of  California  out  of  three  separately  con- 
ceived ideas.  In  February,  1868,  Dr.  Stebbins  wrote 
for  the  college  paper  an  article  of  profound  import, 
entitled  'Why  do  We  Cherish  the  University?'  He 
was  cherishing  the  university  before  the  university 
was  born:  just  when  perchance  proper  care  was 
needed  to  give  to  the  embryo  the  form  and  character 
and  stamina  that  would  enable  it  to  achieve  its  highest 
purpose.  The  concluding  sentences  of  this  paper  read : 
'This,  then,  is  our  vocation,  to  make  men  more  manly 
and  humanity  more  humane ;  to  augment  the  discourse 
of  reason,  intelligence,  and  faith,  and  to  kindle  the 
beacon  fires  of  truth  on  all  the  summits  of  existence. 
To  this  end  and  for  this  cause  may  our  University 
stand  so  long  as  the  sun  and  moon  shall  endure.'" 


WIDER  SERVICE  73 

Dr.  Stebbins's  fostering  care  did  not  cease  with  the 
birth  of  the  institution;  as  regent  he  continued  to 
cherish  it  and  to  rejoice  in  the  marvelous  growth. 
Two  outstanding  figures  of  the  governing  body  were 
Dr.  Stebbins  and  Mr.  A.  S.  Hallidie :  Dr.  Stebbins 
in  all  that  pertained  to  academic  and  cultural  interests, 
and  to  their  development  on  the  grand  scale;  Mr. 
Hallidie  in  what  pertained  to  the  engineering  depart- 
ment and,  especially  and  above  all,  to  the  financial 
safeguarding  of  the  University.  Valuable  cooperation 
by  Durant,  Ashburner,  Tompkins,  and  others  is  to  be 
freely  acknowledged,  but  it  is  quite  within  bounds  to 
say  that  Dr.  Stebbins  was  the  controlling  influence  on 
the  board  of  regents  from  the  beginning  to  the  inau- 
guration of  President  Wheeler. 

Think  for  a  moment  what  is  involved  in  holding  a 
position  by  the  appointment  of  constantly  changing 
governors  for  twenty-six  years.  What  steadiness  of 
purpose  and  degree  of  satisfaction  are  implied !  Posi- 
tive persons  are  sure  to  arouse  opposition,  and  envy 
is  a  plant  of  vigorous  growth.  A  Unitarian  in  an 
Evangelical  community  is  at  popular  disadvantage, 
constantly  distrusted  by  those  who  consider  religious 
liberals  dangerously  unsound ;  yet  here  an  uncompro- 
mising, outspoken  independent  is  retained  for  well-nigh 
a  generation,  and  left  to  have  his  own  way  in  a  place 
of  first  importance.  Such  a  public  service  is  almost 
unprecedented,  and  the  volume  of  benefit  it  conferred 
is  hardly  calculable. 


,,74  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

Dr.  Stebbins  had  a  definite  conception  of  the  part 
that  education  should  play  in  the  formation  of  char- 
acter. The  article  to  which  Professor  Jones  referred 
sets  forth  the  end  of  the  University  in  such  character- 
istic fashion  that  it  is  included  in  the  extracts  from 
his  writings,  collected  at  the  end  of  this  book. 

Perhaps  no  one  in  California  appreciated  Horatio 
Stebbins  as  fully  as  his  friend  Horace  Davis,  and 
association  with  him  gave  Davis  a  clear  insight  into 
his  educational  ideals  and  service.  In  an  address  at  the 
University  in  1909  he  said : 

"Dr.  Stebbins  was  a  faithful  servant  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  California  for  many  years.  Next  to  religion 
his  dearest  interest  in  life  was  education.  Next  to  his 
God  he  thought  most  and  deepest  on  the  problem  of 
human  life :  men  and  women  in  the  concrete,  not  in 
the  abstract,  were  his  constant  study.  He  was  inter- 
ested in  science ;  but  he  felt  a  greater  interest  in  the 
scientist.  He  loved  art;  but  the  artist  was  dearer  to 
him  than  art.  Reserved  and  self-contained  in  his 
bearing,  his  heart  overflowed  with  sympathy  for  his 
fellow-men.  This  was  the  root  of  his  deep  interest  in 
education.  It  was  not  so  much  the  love  of  literature 
or  the  love  of  science,  as  it  was  the  love  of  men. 

"The  early  years  in  the  life  of  the  University  were  a 
critical  period,  calling  for  strong  men  and  wise  coun- 
sels. Forty  years  ago  the  people  of  the  State  had  little 
sympathy  with  higher  education.  They  were  strong, 
vigorous  men,  who  had  crossed  the  continent  for  gain 


WIDER  SERVICE  7$ 

or  adventure ;  they  were  absorbed  in  the  problems  of 
material  life,  in  developing  the  resources  of  a  new  land. 
They  had  little  leisure  to  ponder  questions  of  intel- 
lectual life  or  the  moral  destiny  of  the  community. 
The  schools  were  inferior;  what  little  university  life 
existed  was  on  a  low  plane,  making  it  difficult  to  main- 
tain this  institution  on  a  basis  at  all  commensurate 
with  the  standards  of  the  older  American  colleges.  It 
needed  deep  conviction  and  resolute  courage  to  pro- 
claim the  highest  standard  and  hold  to  it  in  the  face  of 
opposition  and  outcry.  Another  danger  that  threat- 
ened the  young  University  was  jealousy  and  secession. 
The  farmers  wanted  to  secede  and  form  a  separate 
college  of  their  own.  To  yield  to  this  was  to  destroy 
the  solidarity  of  the  University,  to  open  the  way  for 
ultimate  dissolution  into  separate  independent  depart- 
ments —  here  a  farmer's  college,  there  a  technological 
institute,  somewhere  else  a  school  of  arts  and  letters. 
It  took  a  long  and  hard  fight  to  head  off  these  class 
prejudices  and  maintain  the  integrity  of  the  Univer- 
sity as  the  single  head  of  the  educational  system  of  the 
State. 

"Such  were  the  trials  and  labors  of  those  early 
regents.  In  response  to  their  courage  and  faith  a 
brighter  day  has  dawned.  The  public  schools  have 
been  lifted  to  higher  standards,  and  the  University 
has  risen  to  an  honorable  place  in  the  front  rank  of 
American  universities.  Dr.  Stebbins  was  a  leader 
among  those  men  who  guided  its  infant  steps  and  set 


y6  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

the  pace  for  future  attainment;  and  his  confident 
faith,  his  high  ideals,  his  resolute  courage,  were  strong 
factors  in  determining  the  future  of  the  University. 

"When  Mr.  D.  O.  Mills  was  about  to  make  his 
generous  gift  to  the  University,  he  asked  his  friend 
Dr.  Stebbins  in  what  form  the  benefaction  would 
do  the  greatest  good.  The  Doctor,  true  to  his  ideal 
conceptions,  recommended  the  endowment  of  a  Chair 
of  Intellectual  and  Moral  Philosophy.  At  the  time 
it  was  criticized  as  a  barren,  unpractical  gift;  but 
Mr.  Mills's  choice  vindicated  itself.  No  one  influence 
inside  the  University  has  done  so  much  to  lift  the 
standard  of  culture  and  to  mellow  the  atmosphere,  as 
this  happy  endowment  of  Mr.  Mills,  the  Chair  long 
filled  by  the  revered  Dr.  Howison. 

"Dr.  Stebbins  has  passed  away ;  but  he  lived  to  see 
the  fruit  of  his  labors.  He  saw  the  University  grow 
in  wealth,  in  power,  in  standing  and  influence,  far 
beyond  anything  he  could  have  conceived  in  those 
days  of  small  things.  All  honor  to  those  courageous 
men  of  the  early  days,  whose  faith  nerer  wavered, 
whose  ideals  were  never  dimmed !  They  planted  the 
seed ;  we  reap  the  fruit." 

In  considering  Dr.  Stebbins's  contribution  to  the 
cause  of  education  in  California,  one  may  well  speak 
here  of  his  interest  in  Stanford  University,  founded 
some  twelve  years  later  than  the  period  covered  in  this 
chapter,  but  carrying  forward  the  same  convictions 
of  the  worth  of  study  and  culture.  He  contributed 


WIDER  SERVICE  77 

in  many  important  ways  to  its  formation  and  admin- 
istration. He  was  a  trusted  friend  of  both  Senator  and 
Mrs.  Stanford,  and  they  often  consulted  him.  From 
the  nature  of  things  he  could  not  take  an  active  part 
in  details,  but  he  could  and  did  give  frequent  counsel. 
He  retained  his  position  on  the  board  of  trustees  until 
his  removal  to  New  England.  He  took  part  in  many 
public  occasions  there,  and  the  University  and  the 
splendid  gift  that  made  it  possible  were  the  subject  of 
notable  addresses. 

In  1885  he  preached  a  sermon  that  reviewed  the 
career  of  Senator  Stanford  and  the  founding  of  the 
University.  He  spoke  of  it  as  "a  great  benefaction, 
unequaled  in  our  country,  or  in  Christendom,  it  may 
be,  in  substantial  grandeur  or  in  its  prophetic  idea." 
He  spoke  freely  of  Senator  Stanford,  as  the  product 
of  a  new  epoch  of  human  affairs  and  modern  thought, 
a  man  of  good  sense  by  nature,  fitted  to  grow  wiser, 
on  whom  dawned  the  railroad  age,  bringing  with 
it  a  success  into  which  entered  many  causes  beyond 
human  control.  The  possession  of  vast  wealth  brought 
him  the  idea  of  responsibility  and  duty.  "Grief  and 
money,"  said  Dr.  Stebbins,  "are  alike  naturally  selfish : 
one  thinks  of  its  possessions,  the  other  thinks  of  its 
own  sufferings.  Happy  are  those  whose  possessions 
are  transfigured  by  a  glory  from  above  and  whose 
sufferings  are  transformed  to  sympathies." 

It  is  interesting  to  know  that  Dr.  Stebbins's  influence 
in  these  great  universities  did  not  cease  with  his  death. 


78  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

His  daughter  Lucy  is  the  honored  Dean  of  Women  and 
professor  in  the  University  of  California  at  Berkeley, 
and  his  son  Horatio  holds  an  assistant  professorship 
in  the  engineering  department  of  Stanford  University 
at  Palo  Alto. 

Dr.  Stebbins's  service  to  education  was  not  confined 
to  the  two  great  universities.  He  was  always  ready  to 
give  his  best  thought  and  his  long  experience  to  aid 
the  public  schools  generally.  He  was  frequently  called 
to  address  school  institutes  and  gatherings  of  teachers, 
or  to  advise  with  principals  or  teachers.  He  was  pro- 
foundly interested  in  education  as  an  influence,  and 
was  consulted  by  many  who  had  plans  for  advancing 
it.  He  was  named  by  the  will  of  James  Lick  as  trustee 
of  the  California  School  for  Mechanical  Arts  and  he 
served  for  many  years  on  its  controlling  board,  with 
large  influence  in  establishing  its  excellent  foundation 
and  its  wise  control.  On  its  board  were  many  of  his 
nearest  friends,  and  under  their  judicious  management 
it  became  a  most  successful  school,  second  perhaps  to 
none  of  its  character  in  the  country.  It  has  now  drawn 
two  other  large  endowments  into  working  cooperation, 
and  promises  to  become  an  important  educational 
power. 


CHAPTER  V 

RIPENED  YEARS 

ON  July  4,  1876,  San  Francisco  was  called  to  do  her 
utmost  to  celebrate  the  one  hundredth  anniversary 
of  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  at 
Philadelphia.  It  happened  that,  while  the  signers  were 
deliberating  on  their  act,  Lieutenant  Moraga,  of 
Anza's  command,  was  getting  out  the  timber  to  build 
the  Mission  Dolores;  and  San  Francisco  was  then 
virtually  born,  as  a  Spanish  city.  Thus  it  was  a  double 
celebration  and  an  important  event  In  the  twelve 
years  of  Dr.  Stebbins's  residence  his  reputation  for 
ability  and  eloquence  had  been  firmly  established  and 
to  him  was  entrusted  the  oration  on  this  day,  great 
for  the  Nation  and  the  city.  His  address  was  a  lofty 
reiteration  of  the  spirit  of  the  Declaration  which 
meant  an  extension  of  freedom  and  equality  of  oppor- 
tunity to  share  the  moral  and  spiritual  rights  of  man. 
A  sentence  or  two  gives  its  keynote: 

"We  affirm  and  declare  to-day,  as  the  fathers  in 
1776,  that  all  men  are  free;  and  we  mean  by  it  that 
fundamental  fact  of  human  nature  by  which  man  is 
man,  endowed  by  Heaven  with  the  power  to  choose 
between  good  and  evil,  and  to  direct  his  course  toward 
those  ends  that  seem  to  him  best !  We  mean  that  the 
office  of  Government  is  to  protect  that  freedom,  and 


80  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

not  to  encroach  upon  it ;  to  throw  around  it  the  envi- 
ronments of  law,  that  under  law  it  may  be  liberty 
indeed !  We  affirm  and  declare  to-day,  as  the  fathers 
in  1776,  that  all  men  are  equal !  Hear  it,  O  Heaven ! 
and  give  ear  unto  it,  O  Earth!  We  mean  by  this 
that  that  human  nature,  whose  inspiration  is  reason 
and  conscience,  is  divine,  and  we  avow  that  progress 
of  mankind  is  grounded  in  this  common  nature  of  man. 
On  this  we  base  our  hope  of  human  progress,  and  our 
faith  in  human  destiny." 

In  August,  1876,  Dr.  Stebbins  stopped  at  Chicago 
on  his  way  eastward,  and  from  there  he  sent  me  a  note 
with  news  that  concerned  his  future  happiness,  that 
I  was  delighted  to  receive : 

MY  DEAR  CHARLES  AND  ALICE  : 

Your  goodness  to  me,  always  manifest,  will  readily 
appreciate  my  temper  toward  you  when  I  tell  you  that 
I  am  engaged  to  be  married,  at  some  future  day,  to 
Miss  Lucy  E.  Ward,  of  Chicago. 

HORATIO  STEBBINS 

Miss  Ward's  father,  Deliver  Ward,  went  to  Cali- 
fornia in  1850  and  died  there  the  following  year.  Her 
maternal  grandfather,  James  Wibray,  was  an  English- 
man who,  like  other  young  men  in  those  days,  "ran 
away  before  the  mast."  He  became  a  much-beloved 
and  honored  sea-captain,  who  commanded  packet- 
ships  sailing  between  Liverpool  and  New  York,  and 


RIPENED  YEARS  81 

later  between  New  York  and  New  Orleans.  He 
brought  his  family  to  Illinois  in  1835  by  way  of  the 
Erie  Canal  and  the  Great  Lakes.  His  wife,  the  "little 
grandmother,"  and  daughter  played  an  heroic  part  in 
early  pioneer  days  on  the  prairies ;  and  the  daughter 
married  Deliver  Ward  at  the  age  of  eighteen. 

In  due  time  the  marriage  took  place  and  a  blessed 
Providence  gave  Dr.  Stebbins  twenty-six  years  of 
exceptionally  happy  life.  He  had  perfect  sympathy, 
devoted  love,  and  solicitous  care.  A  son,  Horatio 
Ward,  and  a  daughter,  Lucy  Ward,  completed  the 
family.  He  was  a  most  affectionate  and  wisely  indul- 
gent father,  with  complete  confidence  in  his  children. 
It  was  a  happy  home  in  every  respect,  and  his  fond 
hopes  found  abundant  fulfillment  His  daughter  was 
a  precious  "Jewel"  and  "the  boy"  was  as  companion- 
able as  he  himself  had  been  to  his  own  father.  He 
liked  to  repeat  a  remark  that  "the  little  fellow"  made 
one  day  as  they  came,  hand-in-hand,  home  from 
church:  "Papa,  I  don't  think  I  understood  much  of 
the  sermon,  but  it  made  a  good  impression."  He 
watched  with  intense  interest  the  development  of  the 
children,  and  to  see  them  take  their  place  in  life  added 
greatly  to  his  peace  and  joy. 

In  1864  the  church  at  San  Francisco  stood  alone 
on  the  Pacific  Coast  and  there  was  no  opportunity  for 
exchange  of  pulpits.  The  church  at  Portland  was 
established  in  1866,  as  has  been  said.  The  dedication 
of  the  present  church  building  in  June,  1879,  was  ^e 


32  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

occasion  of  the  first  gathering  of  Pacific  Coast  Uni- 
tarians. It  was  my  privilege  to  accompany  Dr.  Steb- 
bins  on  this  delightful  trip.  We  went  by  steamer, 
though  if  there  was  anything  in  the  world  that  Dr. 
Stebbins  did  not  love,  it  was  ocean  travel.  I  have  a 
card  of  that  date : 

MY  DEAR  CHARLES  : 

The  California,  the  finest  ship  in  the  known  world, 
will  leave  this  part  of  said  world  on  Tuesday  the  2yth. 
I  feel  about  it  as  the  woman  in  Connecticut  did  about 
the  revival:  "I  dread  her,  but  let  her  cornel" 
Yours  really 

H.  STEBBINS 

He  was  miserably  seasick  on  the  way  up,  but  stood 
the  hard  test  and  kept  good-naturedly  humorous,  as 
he  lay  helpless  in  his  berth.  He  enjoyed  it  when  I  read 
aloud  and  he  was  benefited  by  the  complete  escape 
from  care  and  responsibility.  When  we  passed  up  the 
beautiful  Columbia  River,  he  was  very  happy,  like  a 
large  boy  on  a  vacation,  the  life  of  every  gathering  we 
had.  On  Sunday  he  preached  the  dedication  sermon, 
and  on  the  two  following  days  we  organized  the  first 
Pacific  Coast  Conference.  Ministers  were  somewhat 
scarce,  but  they  were  of  good  quality  and  we  made  the 
most  of  them.  We  spoke  of  Mr.  Stebbins  and  Mr. 
Eliot  in  those  far-away  days,  but  they  were  the  same 
men  who  later  honored  their  degrees.  The  Reverend 


RIPENED  YEARS  83 

David  Utter  came  down  from  Olympia  on  Puget 
Sound,  and  the  Reverend  Edward  Galvin  from  Walla 
Walla.  The  Reverend  W.  W.  McKaig,  an  emerging 
Presbyterian  minister  from  Marysville,  was  a  decided 
addition. 

When  off  duty  Dr.  Stebbins  was  more  hilarious 
than  I  had  ever  known  him  to  be,  or  ever  afterward 
saw  him.  One  day  as  we  strolled  along  the  street  he 
was  walking  with  Mr.  McKaig,  a  man  almost  his  size. 
Suddenly  he  stopped  and  faced  his  companion,  say- 
ing: "McKaig,  I  believe  I'm  a  better  man  than  you 
are.  Come  on,  take  off  your  coat  and  let's  settle  it." 
It  was  the  height  of  the  incongruous  and  convulsed 
the  ministerial  crowd.  At  the  dedication  and  the 
Conference,  Dr.  Stebbins  was  at  his  best.  He  was 
particularly  fond  of  Eliot  and  pleased  to  see  the  hold 
he  had  gained  on  the  Portland  community.  It  was  as 
happy  a  convocation  of  good  men  as  I  ever  knew,  and 
Dr.  Stebbins  returned  to  his  arduous  duties  greatly 
refreshed. 

The  Sunday  School,  organized  in  1853,  had  grown 
steadily  but  slowly,  until  it  shared  in  the  rapid  expan- 
sion of  Starr  King's  time.  When  I  joined  it  in  1864, 
the  average  attendance  was  about  four  hundred,  and 
it  was  vigorous  and  efficient.  When  Dr.  Stebbins 
succeeded  Starr  King,  I  was  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday 
School,  and  when  in  1869  Mr.  J.  C.  A.  Hill  became 
superintendent,  I  was  his  assistant  for  four  years,  and 
upon  his  return  to  New  England  in  1873  I  became 


-  84  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

superintendent,  serving  most  of  the  time  during  the 
long  ministry  of  Dr.  Stebbins.  The  entertainments 
of  the  Sunday  School  were  popular,  and  the  public 
enjoyed  them  in  a  unique  degree.  Our  Christmas 
festivals  were  a  feature  of  the  city  life.  Platt's  Hall 
would  be  well  filled,  with  an  admission  fee  of  a  large 
silver  dollar,  and  after  the  dinner  for  pupils,  service 
for  the  school,  Christmas  tree  and  entertainment,  an 
enjoyable  dance  followed.  Something  attractively 
fresh  was  always  expected  and  generally  realized.  A 
surprise  snowstorm  is  a  memory  of  many  early  mem- 
bers. Equally  popular  were  the  picnics,  which  usu- 
ally alternated  between  Belmont  and  Fairfax.  The 
attendance  often  numbered  a  thousand  and  the  whole 
community  looked  forward  to  them.  Perhaps,  how- 
ever, our  anniversaries  were  the  most  distinctive  and 
memorable  events  of  Sunday-School  life.  On  the 
Sunday  nearest  to  the  yth  of  August  the  Sunday 
School  usually  marched  behind  its  banner  to  the  center 
and  front  of  the  church  and  conducted  the  morning 
services,  which  included  the  year's  report,  an  address 
by  Dr.  Stebbins,  and,  best  remembered  of  all,  the 
presentation  of  a  souvenir  bouquet  from  an  immense 
floral  pyramid  as  each  scholar  passed  before  Dr. 
Stebbins  after  the  benediction.  Year  after  year  this 
happy  custom  was  followed,  and  his  gracious  pres- 
ence as  he  bestowed  the  simple  tokens  of  his  affection 
was  impressed  on  thousands  of  little  ones,  who  still 
reverence  him. 


RIPENED  YEARS  85 

When  Dr.  Stebbins  came  to  us,  the  era  of  organiza- 
tions inside  the  church  had  not  arrived.  In  1871  the 
Unitarian  Socials  were  organized,  with  officers  and 
committees  charged  with  promoting  the  social  inter- 
ests of  the  church.  Musical  and  literary  entertain- 
ments were  given  in  the  church  parlors,  but  they  were 
too  formal  to  provoke  real  sociability.  In  1873  we 
turned  to  a  rather  elaborate  organization  for  general 
usefulness,  the  Society  for  Christian  Work,  to  which 
both  men  and  women  belonged.  One  section  carried 
on  the  benevolent  activities  that  had  never  been 
neglected;  the  second  established  and  maintained  a 
successful  sewing  school  for  which  as  many  as  four 
hundred  pupils  met  weekly ;  the  third  section  distrib- 
uted reading  matter  to  hospitals  and  jails;  and  the 
fourth  kept  up  social  gatherings  and  tried  to  promote 
better  acquaintance  among  church  attendants.  It 
did  good  work  for  several  years.  Section  One  had  use 
for  more  money  than  it  could  easily  secure,  and  some- 
times extraordinary  efforts  were  necessary.  In  1877, 
when  the  Kellogg  Opera  Company  was  having  a  good 
season,  the  contralto  singer,  Annie  Louise  Gary,  who 
had  known  and  loved  Dr.  Stebbins  in  Portland  and 
wished  to  help,  gave  a  really  sacred  concert  in  the 
church  on  a  Sunday  evening.  She  had  a  capacity 
house,  and,  supported  by  the  Loring  Club  and  others, 
presented  a  fine  programme,  the  best  number  of  which 
was  her  solo  "O,  Rest  in  the  Lord."  Standing  in  the 
pulpit,  with  reverent  manner,  she  seemed  a  dovelike 


86  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

embodiment  of  purity  and  love.  The  benefit  added 
over  a  thousand  dollars  to  the  treasury.  By  1880  a  few 
determined  women  reorganized  the  society,  keeping 
the  same  name,  but  confining  it  to  the  duties  of  Sec- 
tion One.  In  1887  a  second  Woman's  Society  was 
organized  under  the  name  of  the  Channing  Auxiliary. 
Its  interest  is  educational  and  denominational;  it 
conducts  a  Post  Office  Mission  and  occasionally 
indulges  in  publication.  This  society  became  affiliated 
later  with  the  Alliance  of  Unitarian  Women,  a  Na- 
tional Society,  of  which  for  years  it  was  the  largest 
branch,  as,  indeed,  it  still  may  be. 

Dr.  Stebbins  was  sparing  in  the  matter  of  vacations. 
He  never  closed  the  church  for  more  than  a  month 
in  the  summer,  and  for  most  of  the  time  he  conducted 
a  morning  and  an  evening  service.  He  did  not  alway? 
leave  the  city  for  his  brief  annual  rest.  He  liked  hi« 
own  home  too  well  to  risk  discomforts.  He  generally 
enjoyed  good  health,  but  in  1882  he  had  an  attack  of 
pneumonia,  which  left  him  reduced  in  vitality,  and  he 
was  advised  to  spend  a  time  at  Sisson's  meadows,  near 
Shasta.  In  September  he  writes : 

"My  coming  here  has  been  a  great  benefit,  and  I  am 
feeling  the  returning  tides  of  health  and  strength.  I 
want  to  stay  only  long  enough  to  'catch  the  slack* 
and  thus  make  fast  what  I  have  gained.  I  rode  in 
the  saddle  on  a  mountain  trail  over  twenty  miles  on 
Saturday.  The  days  are  singularly  fine,  and  there  is 
a  peculiar  luxury  in  the  air.  I  am  making  the  most 


RIPENED  YEARS  87 

of  it,  as  I  breathe  it,  flavored  with  the  love  of  my 
friends." 

He  was  most  generous  in  expressions  of  affection. 
In  September,  1884,  on  a  journey  to  the  East,  he  wrote 
from  Portland,  Maine: 

"MY  DEAR  CHARLES  :  I  want  only  to  speak  to  you ; 
it  matters  not  much  what  I  say.  My  journey  at  all  its 
stages  has  been  pleasant,  and  the  days  have  gone 
gently  on  into  a  deeper  splendor,  typical  of  my  own 
feelings  whenever  I  come  into  these  fields  of  former 
memories.  The  occasion  at  Saratoga  was  very  inter- 
esting, and  my  part  in  it  was  all  that  your  love  could 
wish ;  which  surely  seems  egotism  in  me  to  say,  did  I 
not  say  it  from  your  heart  more  than  from  my  own. 
Dear  Charles,  my  affection  for  you  is  very  great,  and 
I  am  instructed  by  you  in  my  spirit.  I  shall  see  you 
again  soon." 

In  1888  he  again  returned  from  the  East  by  way  of 
Portland,  Oregon,  whence  he  writes: 

"Mv  DEAR  FRIEND:  I  have  about  completed  the 
circle  of  my  travels,  and  am  satisfied  with  the  purpose 
and  end  of  my  journey.  I  have  been  met  everywhere 
with  cordiality,  and,  strange  to  me,  with  an  acknowl- 
edgment of  reputation  of  which  I  did  not  dream.  I 
hope  I  shall  be  saved  from  any  vanity.  I  have  nothing 
to  write,  unless  it  is  to  tell  you  of  my  admiring  regard 
and  manly  love.  Is  that  nothing?  It  is  a  good  deal 
tome!" 

He  had  the  habit  of  dropping  in  frequently  at  my 


88  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

place  of  business  just  to  say  a  friendly  word.  One  day 
I  returned  from  a  brief  absence  and  found  on  a  scrap 
of  paper  his  familiar  bold  signature,  followed  by  one 
word  and  three  exclamation  points:  "Nothing!!!" 
Dr.  Stebbins  enjoyed  his  trips  to  the  East  whenever 
opportunity  offered.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  meet  old 
friends  and  renew  early  associations.  In  1883  he  wrote 
me  from  Matunuck  Beach,  Rhode  Island: 

MY  DEAR  CHARLES  : 

I  am  truly  refreshed  by  your  cordial  remembrance 
and  your  kind  words.  The  fact  is,  I  am  one  of  the  most 
susceptible  creatures  in  the  world :  fond  even  to  de- 
pendence, on  the  regards  of  others,  yet  with  resource 
and  self-reliance  that  seem  to  contradict  it.  I  came 
down  here  on  Tuesday  to  meet  Hale  and  have  a  little 
quiet  seclusion  with  him.  I  have  enjoyed  a  great  deal. 
I  leave  this  afternoon  to  go  to  Springfield,  where  I 
shall  meet  a  few  friends  of  early  days,  and  feel  the 
absence  of  those  who  are  gone.  I  am  much  refreshed 
by  my  journey.  The  soft  green  landscape,  the  run- 
ning waters,  the  cool  shade,  all  sink  into  my  very 
spirit.  The  memories  of  former  times  and  persons  are 
keen  and  vivid,  but  I  would  not  avoid  the  pain  they 
bring.  How  happily  shall  I  return  to  my  work !  I 
hope  I  shall  be  able  to  do  more  and  better  than  ever 
before.  I  am  much  interested  in  all  you  are  doing  for 
the  Boys  and  Girls  Society.  You  are  surely  a  most 
happy  man  in  such  ability  for  works  of  goodness  and 


RIPENED  YEARS  89 

love.  I  have  often  thought  of  you  with  gratitude  and 
joy.  Give  my  love  to  your  wife.  I  cherish  her  regard  for 
me  as  one  of  the  precious  things  of  life.  With  love  to 
you  both,  H.  STEBBINS 

On  the  twentieth  anniversary  of  Dr.  Stebbins's 
settlement  the  congregation  testified  to  their  affection 
by  presenting  to  him,  on  the  Sunday  evening  nearest 
the  actual  date,  an  address  on  parchment,  signed  by  all 
the  people  within  reach.  It  read: 

DEAR  DR.  STEBBINS  :  It  is  fitting  upon  this  anniver- 
sary, marking  an  important  era  in  our  history  and  in 
yours,  that  we  express  our  gratitude  for  these  years  of 
happy  association,  and  our  sincere  affection  and  re- 
spectful regard  for  you.  The  text  from  which  you  first 
preached  to  us,  twenty  years  ago  to-day,  "Whosoever 
will  be  great  among  you,  let  him  be  your  minister," 
was  prophetic.  You  have  indeed  been  our  minister; 
sustaining  us  in  trouble,  comforting  us  in  sickness, 
teaching  us  by  word  and  example,  and  holding  ever 
before  us  the  highest  ideals  of  moral  and  spiritual  life. 
You  have  been  patient  with  us  in  our  indifference,  and 
devoted  to  us  far  beyond  our  deserving.  Nor  has  your 
service  been  confined  to  us.  You  have  ministered  with 
tender  sympathy  to  the  poor  and  the  pastorless,  and 
helped  to  better  living  and  nobler  aspirations  many 
not  of  your  household  of  faith.  You  have  been  able  to 
do  much  for  the  cause  of  good  learning  in  the  commu- 


90  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

nity,  and  holding  alone  this  western  outpost  of  Unitari- 
anism,  you  have  added  to  the  respect  in  which  our 
liberal  faith  is  held,  and  augmented  its  influence  and 
power.  We  know  that  you  are  not  dependent  upon  our 
appreciation,  but  we  trust  it  will  gratify  you  to  feel 
that  we  are  not  unmindful  of  the  service  which,  during 
these  twenty  years  of  unremitting  labor,  you  have 
rendered  us  and  the  community  of  which  we  are  a  part 
May  the  kind  Providence  that  has  so  favored  us  con- 
tinue to  bless  us  in  your  presence  and  ministrations, 
and  may  we  be  enabled  to  express  to  you  by  willing 
service  our  sense  of  personal  obligation,  and  to  show  in 
our  lives  the  fruits  of  your  teaching.  May  you  be  ever 
sustained  by  the  deep  and  lofty  faith  which  you  have 
revealed  to  us,  and  may  the  peace  that  follows  all  true 
service  and  the  love  that  passeth  all  understanding 
rest  upon  and  enfold  you  always. 

Dr.  Stebbins  always  enjoyed  the  social  side  of  a 
conference.  He  liked  his  associates,  and  gave  them  all 
a  chance  to  do  their  best.  It  was  a  real  opportunity  to 
compare  experiences  and  convictions,  and  advance 
interest  in  things  of  the  spirit.  He  was  always  ready 
to  do  his  full  part,  but  never  monopolized  a  session, 
or  left  as  soon  as  he  had  finished,  as  if  indifferent  to 
what  others  might  say.  He  had  a  pithy  way  of  sum- 
ming up  discussion  and  flashing  light  on  dark  places, 
and  he  never  spoke  without  saying  something.  He  was 
more  than  able;  he  was  wise,  patient,  and  good- 


RIPENED  YEARS  91 

natured.  He  was  a  large  part  of  the  first  Conference  at 
Portland,  and  he  planned  the  second  several  years 
later,  held  at  the  Geary  and  Stockton  Church,  where 
Bartlett,  Howison,  Rabbi  Cohn,  and  others  supple- 
mented the  Unitarian  clergy  and  made  a  really  great 
meeting.  He  attended  every  session  thereafter.  I 
recall  one  at  Oakland  when  participants  were  few, 
which  did  not,  however,  suffer  in  interest.  The  meet- 
ings were  particularly  brilliant,  and  at  the  closing  ses- 
sion Dr.  Stebbins  said  it  reminded  him  of  an  experience 
early  in  life,  when,  standing  on  the  shores  of  a  lake, 
he  saw  the  boat  of  a  fisherman  friend  coming  in.  In 
answer  to  a  query  as  to  the  catch,  the  friend  stood  in 
the  boat  and  held  up  a  large  fish  —  which  he  dropped 
into  the  boat.  Then  he  held  up  and  dropped  another, 
and  another,  and  so  on,  until  his  catch  was  the  envy 
of  all.  The  truth  was  that  he  had  simply  manipulated 
one  fish.  The  few  at  the  Conference  had  been  so  busy 
that  they  had  given  the  impression  of  large  numbers. 

Dr.  Stebbins  was  never  disposed  to  unsettle  those 
whose  religious  convictions  or  theological  opinions 
differed  from  his  own.  He  encouraged  no  one  to  come 
to  us  with  large  expectations,  or  to  hasten  out  of 
orthodoxy  until  he  felt  that  he  must.  He  deplored  the 
loss  that  often  resulted  when  the  old  faith  was  given 
up  before  the  new  was  firmly  established,  and  the  mis- 
conception on  the  part  of  the  unripe  as  to  what  it 
means  to  be  a  liberal.  On  his  return  from  a  trip  to 
Oregon,  he  remarked  that  he  found  men  whose  only 


92  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

idea  of  liberalism  was  that  it  allowed  a  man  to  shoot 
ducks  on  Sunday. 

Some  of  the  ministers  who  turned  from  the  old 
churches  and  essayed  to  preach  in  ours  shocked  him 
with  their  lack  of  reverence  and  their  revulsion  from  all 
that  was  spiritual.  He  said  of  one  who  seemed  to  glory 
in  his  escape  from  orthodoxy  and  spoke  with  contempt 
of  his  old  faith :  "He  seems  to  have  come  out  from  his 
old  church,  naked,  leaving  all  his  clothes  behind  him." 

For  many  years  the  sessions  of  the  National  Con- 
ference, now  the  General  Conference,  were  held  at 
Saratoga.  At  the  eleventh  meeting,  held  in  1884,  Dr. 
Stebbins  preached  the  biennial  sermon  —  an  impor- 
tant assignment.  It  was  later  published  in  pamphlet 
form. 

The  published  sermons  of  Horatio  Stebbins  are  few 
in  number.  He  was  always  disinclined  to  print.  In 
reply  to  a  request  for  permission  to  publish  a  sermon, 
he  once  wrote  me :  "About  this  printing !  I  am  wrong, 
perhaps,  but  experience  has  confirmed  my  feeling  and 
I  find  that  first-rate  men  in  the  profession  agree  with 
me.  I  will,  however,  sometime  give  you  something  to 
print.  The  secretary  of  the  American  Unitarian  As- 
sociation wanted  material  for  a  volume  of  sermons, 
but  I  have  not  agreed  at  present."  While  he  shrank 
from  printing  sermons,  he  was  always  cordially  anx- 
ious to  contribute  in  any  way  possible  to  the  value  of 
the  Pacific  Unitarian,  and  often  gave  me  short  ex  tracts. 

In  1885  Dr.  Stebbins  was  touched  by  the  receipt  of 


RIPENED  YEARS  93 

resolutions  and  photographs  from  the  Brotherhood  of 
Locomotive  Engineers.  In  the  previous  year,  during 
a  strike,  one  of  their  number,  Engineer  Clarke,  had 
gone  to  his  death  in  the  pursuit  of  duty.  Dr.  Stebbins, 
in  a  sermon  on  "The  Industrial  Troubles  of  the 
Times,"  alluded  with  grateful  appreciation  to  this 
notable  act  of  heroism.  A  fund  had  been  raised  for  a 
memorial,  and  a  fitting  monument  erected  to  Clarke 
at  the  spot  where  he  died  in  honor.  During  the  unveil- 
ing the  thoughts  of  the  committee  reverted  to  the 
admiring  allusion  of  Dr.  Stebbins,  and  they  passed 
resolutions  of  gratitude  for  his  words,  "words  that 
sustained  many  a  brave  heart  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duty,"  and  sent  with  them  photographs  of  the  monu- 
ment and  its  unveiling. 

In  1886,  largely  through  Dr.  Stebbins's  interest  and 
effort,  the  Unitarian  Club  of  California  was  organized. 
For  thirty  years  it  was  a  strong,  helpful  agency,  large 
and  generous  in  membership,  which  held  a  place  in  the 
community  all  its  own.  It  was  acknowledged  to  offer 
the  best  of  audiences,  and  when  distinguished  visitors 
came  to  the  Coast  its  hospitality  was  gladly  accepted. 
When  Lyman  Abbott  visited  San  Francisco,  Dr. 
McLean,  the  head  of  the  Congregationalists,  asked  the 
privilege  of  introducing  the  club  to  him.  Many  Uni- 
tarian leaders  have  been  entertained  at  its  hospitable 
board.  Dr.  Stebbins  was  held  in  great  veneration,  and 
was  usually  urged  to  conclude  the  programme,  who- 
ever had  spoken.  One  of  the  most  notable  dinners  was 


94  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

a  reception  to  Susan  B.  Anthony  and  Anna  Howard 
Shaw,  at  which  Dr.  Stebbins  spoke  to  the  toast: 
"Womanly  Women."  The  largest  and  most  impres- 
sive reception  was  given  to  Booker  T.  Washington. 

In  1887  Dr.  Stebbins  was  one  of  the  guests  of  the 
Chit-Chat  Club  at  its  thirteenth  annual  meeting,  as 
was  General  O.  O.  Howard,  to  whom  was  assigned  the 
toast:  "The  Prospect  of  Universal  Peace."  He  spoke 
hopefully,  quoting  General  Sheridan  to  the  effect 
that  by  extraordinary  improvements  in  breech-loading 
ordnance  war  would  soon  become  too  costly  in  life 
and  money  to  admit  it  as  a  solution  of  national 
troubles.  He  also  referred  to  the  love  of  peace  exhib- 
ited by  Grant  and  other  soldiers,  and  to  the  effort  of 
English  and  American  statesmen  to  secure  an  Inter- 
national Congress.  He  felt  sure  there  was  an  increasing 
majority  of  peace-loving  men,  and  further  that  mis- 
sionary enterprise  was  convincing  the  semi-civilized 
and  uncivilized  that  their  best  interests  were  found  in 
the  divine  teachings  of  him  who  came  to  proclaim 
peace  on  earth. 

The  second  regular  toast  was  "War,"  assigned  to 
Dr.  Stebbins.  After  a  cordial  introduction  he  said :  "I 
know  not  by  what  design  I  have  been  set  over  against 
the  distinguished  captain.  Let  it  not  be  supposed  that 
I  have  any  contention  with  him  in  the  hopeful  senti- 
ments which  he  has  expressed.  I  share  those  senti- 
ments with  him  in  company  with  the  illustrious 
prophets  and  teachers  of  mankind,  who,  in  inspired 


RIPENED  YEARS  95 

vision  of  the  advancing  God,  have  seen  the  time  when 
war  shall  be  no  more.  We  shall  not  live  to  see  that 
time,  though  there  be  those  here  who  shall  not  see 
death  till  they  see  the  dawn  of  that  day.  Not  to  hope 
it,  and  trustingly  believe  it,  is  to  belie  those  aspira- 
tions of  the  heart  of  man  which  the  Maker  has  kindled, 
not  to  tantalize  the  world,  but  to  lead  mankind  on  to 
the  realization  of  the  poet's  insight,  more  profound 
than  politico-economics,  or  any  doctrine  of  the  balance 
of  power,  when 

'all  men  to  be 
Will  make  one  people  ere  man's  race  be  run.'" 

He  continued,  however,  with  reflections  on  the  ground 
and  standing  of  war  in  the  providence  of  the  world, 
and  concluded  with  the  assurance  that  there  is  some- 
thing worse  than  war,  namely,  the  misery  of  having 
nothing  worth  fighting  for. 

Horatio  Stebbins  used  his  mind  fearlessly  and 
calmly,  with  no  prejudices  to  be  overcome.  His 
thought  was  analytic  and  penetrating,  and  he  followed 
it  to  ultimate  conclusions.  He  remarked  once  that 
intellectual  honesty  was  far  more  rare  than  moral 
honesty.  His  massive  integrity  had  great  distrust  for 
half-truths,  and  the  faculty  of  grasping  essentials  at 
once.  He  had  great  facility  for  generalization,  and 
never  mistook  the  corollary  for  the  proposition. 

Often  during  the  discussion  of  a  subject,  before  a 
club  meeting,  for  instance,  he  would  sit  apparently 
unimpressed,  absorbed  in  thought,  and  if  called  on  at 


96  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

the  close,  as  he  often  was,  he  would,  in  a  few  brief 
words,  state  the  question  clearly,  and  dispose  of  it  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  company,  perhaps  bringing  up 
some  decisive  factor  not  before  considered.  His  dis- 
crimination and  sense  of  perspective  were  remarkable, 
as  also  the  beauty  and  finish  of  form  with  which  he 
clothed  extemporaneous  remarks.  His  speech  was  al- 
ways deliberate  and  rhythmical,  often  poetic.  When 
unexpectedly  called  to  say  a  few  words  in  the  way 
of  benediction,  he  expressed  his  thoughts  in  beauty 
that  was  seldom  less  than  majestic. 

Dr.  Stebbins  was  never  more  impressive  than  at  the 
communion  service,  which  he  wholly  divested  of  the 
quality  of  formal  observance.  It  was  real  and  tender, 
a  communion  of  the  inmost  spirit,  in  which  there  was 
a  sense  of  vital  union  and  joyful  solemnity.  He  fre- 
quently carried  forward  the  theme  of  the  sermon  in 
the  preceding  church  service,  applying  its  central 
thought  to  life  and  connecting  it  with  the  unity  of 
sympathy  which  a  communion  service  typifies.  He 
rarely  followed  any  prescribed  form  of  responses  or 
prayer,  but  spoke  from  the  depths  of  his  own  feeling, 
and  led  his  flock  in  reverent  supplication.  At  such 
times  he  was  transfigured  before  us,  lifted  up  into 
the  heights  of  being.  His  countenance  glowed  with 
supernal  beauty,  and  those  to  whom  he  ministered 
felt  with  him  the  divine  presence,  and  were  strength- 
ened in  their  purpose  to  be  led  by  the  spirit.  The  serv- 
ice, to  him,  filled  a  real  want,  and  was  not  a  tradi- 


RIPENED  YEARS  97 

tional  observance  of  doctrinal  implication,  but  a  nat- 
ural and  blessed  opportunity  to  draw  near  to  one 
another  and  to  God,  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  that  love 
might  find  increase  and  strength  be  gained  for  loftier 
life. 

Of  all  the  many  trips  I  enjoyed  with  Dr.  Stebbins, 
attendance  at  the  Boston  May  Meetings  of  1886  holds 
first  place.  From  first  to  last  it  was  a  delightful  ex- 
perience. He  was  in  good  spirits  on  the  train  and 
enjoyed  meeting  all  sorts  of  men.  I  would  find  him 
animatedly  discussing  cattle  with  a  man  from  Mon- 
tana, or  lumber  with  an  Oregonian.  He  was  thoroughly 
democratic  and  sympathetic,  friends  with  all,  even 
with  the  jocose  Pullman  porter,  whose  final  injunction 
was:  "  Be  good."  He  was  easily  amused.  During  a 
brief  stop  at  a  station  called  Green  River  —  a  desolate 
place,  where  there  was  nothing  green  in  sight  except- 
ing the  word  on  the  station  sign  —  he  engaged  in  con- 
versation a  native  on  the  platform  and  casually  asked 
him  if  it  were  not  rather  lonely  in  the  winter.  "Well," 
replied  the  man,  "in  the  winter  we  play  cards  a  good 
deal,  to  mitigate  the  gloom."  "Mitigate  the  gloom" 
appealed  to  Dr.  Stebbins  as  an  expressive  phrase,  and 
he  never  forgot  it.  It  is  still  a  family  expression.  He 
was  unwearied  by  the  long  journey  and  reached  Boston 
with  keen  anticipation  of  the  companionship  he  missed 
in  his  distant  field  of  labor.  He  was  heartily  welcomed 
and  enjoyed  much  in  the  remarkable  meetings  of  the 
week.  He  spoke  at  the  large  evening  meeting,  where 


98  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

he  met  Dr.  Hedge  and  Dr.  Peabody,  whom  he  greatly 
esteemed. 

At  the  laymen's  festival  he  replied  for  the  ministry, 
and  was  very  happy.  He  told  an  incident  of  his  early 
experience  in  San  Francisco  that  convulsed  the  com- 
pany. He  had  entered  one  of  the  street-cars  of  the 
period,  with  plush-covered  seats,  and  straw  on  the 
floor.  It  was  well  filled,  but  he  finally  found  an  unoccu- 
pied space  by  the  side  of  a  good-natured  man  who 
made  room.  He  noticed  that  the  accommodating 
stranger  had  obviously  been  imbibing  rather  freely, 
also  that  he,  himself,  was  recognized.  The  man  turned 
toward  him  and  familiarly  patting  the  doctor's  knee 
said:  "I  know  who  you  are.  You're  Dr.  Stebbins, 
and  you're  a  good  man,  but  I  don't  go  a  cent  on  your 
religion.  I'm  a  Baptist  myself."  "The  laugh  was  on 
me,"  Dr.  Stebbins  continued,  "but  by  a  happy  chance 
I  turned  it  off  with  the  reply:  'I  am  glad  to  know  you 
are  a  Baptist ;  cold  water  is  just  what  you  need. ' " 

The  ordination  of  his  son  Roderick  at  Milton 
occurred  during  our  stay.  He  gave  the  charge  to  the 
minister,  and  it  was  one  of  the  best  addresses  I  ever 
heard,  full  of  wisdom,  tenderness,  and  feeling,  sea- 
soned by  a  touch  of  homely  humor.  A  sentence  or  two 
may  find  place  here : 

"My  notion  is  that  the  prime  credential  for  the 
vocation  of  a  minister  is  a  generous  love  of  human 
nature  —  a  conviction,  glowing  with  enthusiasm,  that 
human  nature  is  the  best  thing  God  has  ever  made,  as 


RIPENED  YEARS  99 

far  as  we  know.  The  strong  citadel  of  a  minister's 
mind,  amid  indifference  around  him  and  the  con- 
sciousness of  the  inadequacy  of  his  own  work,  is  that 
in  every  man's  inmost  soul  he  has  an  advocate  with 
the  Father,  that  says  amen  to  all  eternal  truth ;  and 
that,  while  his  own  imperfect  work  partakes  of  the 
imperfection  of  all  human  things,  yet  the  work  of  God 
shall  prosper." 

It  was  a  beautiful  sight  to  view  the  silver-headed 
saints,  lifelong  friends  of  the  returned  exile,  as  he 
stood  in  grateful  pride  by  the  side  of  the  son  who  had 
chosen  the  profession  he  honored  and  loved. 

On  June  19,  1887,  we  worshiped  for  the  last  time  in 
the  Starr  King  Church,  which  was  to  be  torn  down  to 
make  way  for  a  business  block.  The  churches  in  Oak- 
land and  Sacramento  united  with  us  in  the  farewell 
service.  In  his  announcement  the  previous  Sunday, 
Dr.  Stebbins  had  said:  "Let  us  all,  young  and  old, 
gather  here  once  more,  and  offer  gratitude  and  praise 
to  the  Giver  of  all  good,  and  the  Guide  of  man.  Then 
let  us  go  out  with  reverent  and  strong  adieux  where  the 
Eternal  Providence  shall  lead."  To  this  announcement 
he  added  the  following  suggestion :  "Let  each  one  of 
us  as  we  come  in  lay  a  green  leaf,  a  flower,  a  spire  of 
grass  on  the  burial  stone  that  lies  yonder.  Let  there 
be  no  wreaths  or  artificial  labors,  but  a  sprig  of  the 
beauty  of  the  world,  such  as  a  child  can  pluck  with 
his  hand,  or  that  a  dove  let  loose  from  heaven  might 
bring  to  adorn  the  brow  of  a  Son  of  Man." 


~ioo  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

The  service  was  carried  out  in  the  spirit  of  his  words. 

We  had  worshiped  in  this  church  for  over  twenty- 
three  years,  but  it  was  time  to  leave  the  business  dis- 
trict. We  sold  for  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand 
dollars  the  lot  that  had  cost  sixteen  thousand  dollars, 
and  built,  at  the  corner  of  Franklin  Street,  a  fine  build- 
ing that  cost,  lot  and  all,  ninety-one  thousand  dollars. 
Dr.  Stebbins  took  great  interest  in  this  new  church, 
and  on  February  19,  1889,  it  was  dedicated.  Dr. 
Hedge  wrote  a  hymn  for  the  occasion.  During  its 
construction  we  worshiped  in  the  Synagogue  Emanuel, 
and  the  Sunday  School  was  hospitably  entertained  at 
the  First  Congregational  Church,  which  indicates  the 
friendly  relations  maintained  by  Dr.  Stebbins,  who 
never  engaged  in  controversy  with  any  other  house- 
hold of  faith. 

When  Dr.  Stebbins  came  to  the  church  he  found 
as  its  treasurer,  and  a  trustee,  Captain  William  C. 
Hinckley  who  had  been  its  devoted  friend  for  many 
years.  He  lived  on  Bush  Street,  and  was  thus  a  near 
neighbor  as  well  as  a  constant  attendant  at  church. 
As  he  drew  near  his  end,  he  was  pathetically  depend- 
ent on  his  dearly  loved  minister.  His  wife  had  gone 
before;  he  was  childless  and  lonely.  Dr.  Stebbins 
was  tenderly  devoted,  cheering  and  sus taming  him  to 
the  last.  Captain  Hinckley  wanted  to  dispose  of  his 
property  so  that  it  would  do  the  greatest  possible 
good  after  he  was  gone.  He  asked  Dr.  Stebbins  to  draw 
up  his  will,  who  complied  after  much  thought  and  con- 


RIPENED  YEARS  101 

sultation.  On  December  29,  1875,  the  will  establish- 
ing "The  William  and  Alice  Hinckley  Trust"  was 
signed.  Captain  Hinckley  died  April  n,  1876.  Let 
Dr.  Stebbins  tell  his  story.  On  the  Sunday  following 
he  said,  in  part: 

"  Captain  William  Crawford  Hinckley  and  his  wife, 
Alice  Campbell  Hinckley,  were  members  of  our  parish 
and  cheerful  helpers  of  our  cause  from  the  early  days. 
They  were  the  cordial  friends  of  my  predecessor,  Mr. 
King,  and  he  enjoyed,  as  only  such  as  he  can  enjoy, 
the  simplicity  of  their  manners  and  their  true  kindness. 
They  could  not  love  me  as  they  loved  him,  but  they 
loved  me  after  a  true  fashion,  which  gave  them  much 
delight  and  me  much  cause  of  gratitude."  After  telling 
of  Captain  Hinckley 's  birth  in  Boston  in  1809,  of  his 
boyhood  in  Milton,  of  his  apprenticeship  to  the  dry- 
goods  trade  at  thirteen,  of  his  finding  that  there  was 
"no  trade  in  him,"  and  of  his  shipping  on  a  whaler  at 
the  age  of  sixteen,  returning  three  years  later  with 
ninety  dollars  and  experience,  of  several  years  in  the 
merchant  service,  of  his  determination,  at  twenty-one, 
to  get  more  schooling,  of  his  return  to  Milton  and 
study  at  the  academy  for  three  months,  Dr.  Stebbins 
proceeds : 

"There  the  sailor-boy,  returning  from  throwing  the 
harpoon  along  the  Pacific  longitude,  encountered  the 
javelin  that  pierced  his  heart  from  Alice  Hinckley's 
eyes.  Then  a  new  inspiration  took  him.  He  must  do 
something  —  and  what  could  he  do  ?  He  was '  good  for 


102  HORATIO  STJEBBINS 

nothing  else' — the  sea  was  his  field.  He  went,  rose 
quickly  to  be  master,  —  and  he  was  a  good  one, — • 
roved  from  sea  to  sea  and  from  shore  to  shore  with 
varying  fortunes,  sometimes  up  and  sometimes  dowa, 
but  generally  down.  He  was  accustomed  to  say,  with 
honorable  simplicity:  "The  truth  is,  I  never  was  a 
business  man.'  He  was  off  the  coast  of  South  America 
when  he  heard  of  the  gold  discoveries  in  California. 
He  took  his  ship  up  the  river  among  the  first,  and  her 
bones  lie  there  now.  He  went  to  the  mines.  As  he 
said,  he  'got  the  hang  of  mining/  and  in  a  few  months 
took  out  nearly  six  thousand  dollars,  and  came  back 
to  the  Bay ;  and  in  those  shifting  times  and  events  he 
bought  at  auction  for  sixty  dollars  the  land  on  which 
the  California  Theater  long  stood.  Nobody  outbid 
him,  and  some  thought  he  was  a  fool  for  buying  it. 
He  never  displayed  any  conceit  about  it  after  it  turned 
out  to  be  successful  far  beyond  his  foresight.  He 
always  said  it  was  a  good  Providence  that  gave  him  a 
competence  hi  his  increasing  years.  He  was  so  im- 
pressed with  the  idea  that  his  later  prosperity  was 
owing  to  no  special  wit  or  talent  of  his  own,  that  he 
wanted  to  set  apart  a  portion  of  his  property  as  a 
memorial  of  the  good  Providence  that  had  befriended 
him.  I  have  never  seen  a  man  who  understood  more 
clearly  or  confessed  more  humbly  that  causes  entirely 
beyond  his  control  and  greater  than  his  wisdom  had 
given  him  success.  He  knew  that  he  came  in  on  the 
tide  and  never  claimed  that  he  rowed  in  or  steamed  in. 


RIPENED  YEARS  103 

After  the  death  of  Mrs.  Hinckley,  his  frame  gave 
way,  though  he  lived  in  much  enjoyment,  occupied 
chiefly  in  making  all  things  ready  for  his  departure. 
Ten  days  before  his  death  it  was  manifest  that  he  was 
sinking  rapidly.  At  evening,  holding  my  hand  in  his, 
he  said,  'I  am  glad  to  see  you ;  it  does  me  good !'  In 
the  morning,  before  day,  when  the  tide  served,  he 
lifted  his  anchors  and  put  out  upon  the  boundless 
blue." 

;  The  lot  on  Bush  Street,  near  Kearney,  bought  for 
sixty  dollars,  had  been  leased  to  the  California  Theater 
Company  for  one  thousand  dollars  a  month,  ground 
rental,  and  he  had  some  other  property.  Under  the 
will  the  then  trustees  of  the  church  were  made  exec- 
utors, and  also  trustees  of  the  trust  fund.  From  the 
income  of  the  lease  a  number  of  legacies  and  a  mort- 
gage were  slowly  met  The  will  was  contested  as  con- 
stituting a  perpetuity.  Litigation  postponed  settle- 
ment, but  finally  the  will  was  sustained  and  the  trust 
fund,  to  the  extent  of  one  third  of  the  estate,  set  aside. 
It  was  March,  1890,  when  disbursements  of  the  inter- 
est of  the  fund  of  fifty- two  thousand  dollars  began. 
The  will  gave  great  discretion  to  the  trustees  under  the 
general  provision,  "for  Human  Beneficence,"  particu- 
larly commending  religion,  learning,  and  charity.  It 
called  attention  to  the  trials  and  afflictions  of  the  in- 
dustrious, striving,  unfortunate  poor  and  especially  to 
the  aged,  the  infirm,  and  the  lonely.  It  also  provided 
a  Hinckley  Scholarship  of  three  hundred  dollars  a 


104  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

year.  Dr.  Stebbins  was  elected  president  of  the  board, 
and  held  the  position  till  his  removal  to  New  England 
in  1900. 

This  fund  has  been  of  incalculable  benefit  and  is  a 
source  of  great  strength  to  the  church.  Its  income 
provides  an  appropriation  of  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  dollars  a  month  to  the  Society  for  Christian  Work 
for  the  charities  of  the  church,  and  as  much  more 
for  other  expenditures.  Up  to  this  time  we  have  dis- 
bursed more  than  seventy-two  thousand  dollars  and 
the  fund  has  increased  to  sixty-two  thousand  dollars. 
Dr.  Stebbins  was  strong  in  his  belief  that  individuals 
should  be  endowed  rather  than  institutions,  and  this 
Will,  in  providing  that  vacancies  be  filled  by  joint 
ballot  of  the  trustees  and  the  board  of  church  trustees, 
insures  perpetual  beneficence  administered  by  a  group 
of  interested  individuals.  Only  one  of  the  original 
trustees  survives,  but  the  spirit  of  the  trust  is  un- 
quenched  and  seemingly  immortal. 

Incidentally  the  case  has  significant  importance,  as 
it  established  the  American  law  on  perpetuities,  rind- 
ing that  such  a  perpetuity  for  human  good  is  not  to  be 
interdicted  (as  by  the  English  law),  as  against  public 
interest 

Dr.  Stebbins  inspired  the  utmost  respect  among  the 
men  of  the  parish,  and  they  responded  to  his  spirit  and 
were  anxious  to  serve  others.  Among  those  who  felt 
this  fine  friendliness  was  Mr.  Henry  Pierce,  a  man 
of  apparently  little  sentiment.  He  was  frequently  a 


RIPENED  YEARS  105 

dinner  guest,  and  delighted  to  take  with  him  any  of 
the  family  when  he  exercised  his  line  team  of  horses. 
When  he  died,  his  will  contained  an  unexpected  clause : 
"I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  three  friends,  Horatio 
Stebbins,  Horace  Davis,  and  Charles  A.  Murdock, 
and  to  their  successors,  the  sum  of  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars in  trust  for  the  library  of  the  First  Unitarian 
Church."  There  was  no  existing  library,  save  that  of 
the  Sunday  School,  and  the  surviving  trustees  decided 
that  the  income  of  the  fund  should  be  spent,  after  pro- 
viding for  the  wants  of  the  Church  School,  in  establish- 
ing a  library,  to  be  called  "The  Henry  Pierce  Library," 
which  should  provide,  for  the  parish  and  for  ministers, 
students,  and  others,  of  all  denominations,  the  best 
publications  on  religion  and  kindred  topics.  It  is  lo- 
cated at  the  church,  and  provides  even  to  ministers  at 
a  distance  books  they  would  find  it  difficult,  if  not 
impossible,  otherwise  to  obtain.  It  has  increasing  ap- 
preciation from  the  parish.  At  the  death  of  the  sur- 
viving trustee,  it  will  be  controlled  by  the  church 
trustees,  one  more  monument  to  the  memory  and  in- 
fluence of  Horatio  Stebbins. 

Another  parishioner,  Mrs.  Anna  M.  Hathaway, 
established  at  her  death  a  trust  fund  of  five  thousand 
dollars  for  the  poor  of  the  church.  Dr.  Stebbins  served 
as  a  trustee  during  his  lifetime.  These  two  funds 
augment  the  beneficence  that  promises  to  testify  for 
all  time  to  the  helpful  influence  of  his  ministry. 

Two  parishioners  who  loved  him  much,  William  and 


io6  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

Caroline  Hardy,  provided  by  will  for  some  memorial 
of  him  to  be  placed  in  the  walls  of  the  church,  and  in 
1917  a  simple  tablet  of  bronze  was  dedicated.  A  sim- 
ilar tablet  is  placed  near  it  in  memory  of  Starr  King. 
A  touching  tribute  of  grateful  affection  in  the  form 
of  a  mural  painting  adorns  the  Gothic  panel  back  of 
the  pulpit.  It  is  the  work  and  gift  of  Mr.  Bruce  Porter, 
who  grew  to  manhood  under  Dr.  Stebbins's  preaching, 
and  greatly  revered  him.  It  represents  the  religious 
development  of  mankind,  particularly  the  significance 
of  a  favorite  phrase  of  Dr.  Stebbins,  "Lo,  at  length, 
the  True  Light."  Mr.  Porter  was  variously  gifted,  and 
a  beautiful  poem  written  by  him  in  1898  may  well 
appear  here : 

HORATIO  STEBBINS 

Honored  by  humble  men,  he  walks  these  streets, 

Priest  of  the  wider  parish  of  the  heart ; 

A  tower  of  strength  to  the  impetuous  State, 

Where  steadfast  and  serene  he  fills  his  part ; 

Still  offering  wisdom  —  though  the  hour  grows  late; 

Still  lending  courage  —  in  the  face  of  Fate. 

Unterrified  and  kind,  large  as  the  light  of  day, 

He  passes  on  — 

We  lift  our  eyes,  sodden  with  petty  ills, 

And  lo !  —  visions  of  forests,  of  the  silent  hills, 

And  the  deep  tides  of  the  obedient  sea ! 

Without  doubt  the  friend  upon  whom  Dr.  Stebbins 
most  relied  for  sympathy  and  support  was  Horace 
Davis,  who  for  nearly  forty  years  conducted  the  Bible- 
Class  in  the  Sunday  School.  He  was  thoroughly  con- 


RIPENED  YEARS  107 

genial  and  by  character  and  attainment  more  nearly 
an  equal  than  any  other  parishioner.  He  delighted  in 
Dr.  Stebbins,  and  their  intimacy  was  a  great  resource 
to  both.  He  was  an  appreciative  friend.  In  an  histor- 
ical sketch  of  the  church,  after  referring  to  Dr.  Steb- 
bins's  valued  public  services,  he  said :  "  Dr.  Stebbins's 
greatest  power  was  in  the  pulpit ;  and  his  preaching  was 
always  to  the  individual,  to  you  and  me.  Each  of  us  re- 
members some  peculiar  phase  of  his  preaching,  but  he 
impressed  me  most  when  he  spoke  of  the  eternal  verities 
of  the  spirit.  God  and  the  human  soul  were  realities 
to  him,  more  real  than  the  rocks  and  hills  around  us. 
I  gratefully  acknowledge  my  debt  to  him  —  a  debt 
greater  than  I  owe  to  any  other  man,  greater  than 
any  service  of  mine  can  pay." 


CHAPTER  VI 

CLOSE  OF  THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  MINISTRY 

ON  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  coming  of  Dr. 
Stebbins,  his  congregation  turned  out  hi  full  numbers 
to  mark  the  event.  The  parlors  had  been  tastefully 
decorated  with  flowers  and  ferns  by  the  loving  hands 
of  the  ladies  of  the  church  societies.  Delightful  music 
formed  a  background  for  congratulations  and  brisk 
conversation  during  a  happy  evening.  Then  the  mod- 
erator, Mr.  Charles  M.  Gorham,  signaled  silence  and 
addressed  Dr.  Stebbins : 

"Years  ago  you  came  to  the  pastorate  of  this  church. 
During  all  these  years  you  have  given  us  the  best  that 
God  has  given  you,  and,  while  you  have  faithfully 
ministered  to  this  congregation,  you  have  also  taken 
the  whole  city  for  your  field  of  duty  —  going  about 
doing  good,  helping  the  needy,  encouraging  the  weak, 
comforting  the  distressed ;  and  so,  moved  by  feelings 
of  grateful  appreciation  and  affectionate  regard,  we 
herewith  present  you  something  material  by  way  of 
remembrance,  with  the  hope  that  you  may  be  long 
spared  to  your  family,  to  us,  your  people,  and  to  the 
church  of  God." 

The  "herewith"  was  a  purse  containing  $1864,  and 
accompanied  the  latest  edition  of  the  Encyclopedia 
Britannica.  Dr.  Stebbins  replied  with  tender  emotion. 


CALIFORNIA  MINISTRY  ENDS     109 

He  was  "surprised,  delighted,  and  happy."  It  was  he 
who  was  under  debt  to  his  people,  and,  "if  my  teach- 
ings have  cast  warmth  upon  your  hearts,"  he  said, 
"it  is  from  inspiration  I  have  gained  through  the  grace 
of  God.  If  I  have  entered  into  service  with  the  love  of 
human  nature,  it  is  from  the  womanly  influence  which 
is  ever  near  me.  I  owe  this  to  the  woman  who  is  my 
wife  and  whom  I  have  the  honor  to  love."  He  closed 
by  bestowing  his  blessing  on  the  gathering 

Dr.  Stebbins  was  well  sustained  by  his  people,  but 
he  stood  practically  alone  on  the  Pacific  Coast;  for 
even  when  he  could  rejoice  in  Eliot  in  Portland  or  Fay 
in  Los  Angeles,  distances  were  so  great  that  he  had 
little  companionship.  So  we  were  always  glad  when  he 
was  able  to  go  to  conferences  in  the  East  and  meet  his 
brother  ministers.  It  had  value  for  them  as  well.  It 
stimulated  the  young  to  see  and  hear  him.  The  Rev- 
erend Richard  W.  Boynton  wrote  in  1909  to  the 
Christian  Register: 

"I  well  recall,  at  my  first  National  Conference  at 
Saratoga  in  1891,  when  on  my  twenty-first  birthday 
I  consecrated  myself  to  this  ministry,  the  magnificent 
presence  of  Dr.  Stebbins  of  San  Francisco,  and  the 
spirit  of  what  he  said.  He  dosed  in  this  way,  'I  have 
always  spoken  and  preached  from  the  level  of  my 
mind ;  and,  by  the  grace  of  God,  I  am  able  to  say,  with 
all  humility  and  yet  with  pride,  that  those  who  have 
gone  from  the  First  Church  of  San  Francisco  have 
gone  inoculated  at  least  with  truth  that  preserves 


no  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

them  from  the  miserable  religious  diseases  of  Christen- 
dom/" 

Again  Mr.  Boynton  wrote : 

"Study  the  preaching  of  the  great  preachers,  of 
George  Putnam,  of  Phillips  Brooks,  of  Horatio  Steb- 
bins,  of  Brooke  Herford,  of  James  Martineau,  and  you 
will  find  that  it  did  not  concern  itself  with  the  uproot- 
ing of  particular  wrong  so  much  as  with  the  affirming 
and  establishing  of  universal  truth  and  right.  It  went 
out  of  doors,  it  glorified  in  the  broad  sweep  of  truth,  it 
spoke  with  the  voices  of  authority,  it  made  men  whole, 
and  then  trusted  those  whole  men  to  make  a  whole- 
some world." 

The  thirtieth  anniversary  was  marked  by  the  instal- 
lation of  the  Reverend  William  G.  Eliot,  Jr.,  as  assist- 
ant minister  of  the  church.  To  join  in  the  auspicious 
event  Dr.  Thomas  L.  Eliot,  father  of  the  new  minister, 
had  come  from  Portland,  Oregon,  and  the  Reverend 
Roderick  Stebbins,  his  close  friend,  had  come  from 
Milton,  Massachusetts.  The  Reverend  Charles  W. 
Wendte  preached  the  sermon,  Dr.  Eliot  gave  the 
charge,  the  Reverend  Roderick  Stebbins  the  right 
hand  of  fellowship.  Dr.  Stebbins  gave  a  noble  ad- 
dress in  the  course  of  which  he  said : 

"DEAR  FRIENDS  :  The  purpose  that  gives  importance 
and  emphasis  to  this  occasion  is  concluded.  The  day 
has  indeed  a  double  import  to  our  memory  and  our 
hope.  We  may  reverently  recognize  the  providence  of 


CALIFORNIA  MINISTRY  ENDS     in 

God  in  history,  when  we  call  to  mind  that  this  is 
the  anniversary  of  the  admission  of  California  to  the 
Union  —  one  of  the  most  striking  events,  considering 
all  its  attendant  circumstances,  of  the  last  half-cen- 
tury. We  may  reverently  confess  that  Providence  in 
human  affairs,  under  whose  guidance  men  are  some- 
times wiser  than  they  know,  and  which  brought  this 
western  shore  under  the  protecting  aegis  of  the  Consti- 
tution, within  whose  folds  there  lie  those  latent  prin- 
ciples of  justice  and  truth  that  are  yet  to  be  revealed 
for  the  guidance  and  welfare  of  mankind ;  else,  we  had 
been  a  feeble  republic,  looking  with  vacant  gaze  upon 
a  lazy,  idle  sea,  facing  Oriental  monotony,  the  sullen 
pyramids,  and  the  drowsy  Sphinx. 

"  We  may  call  to  mind  with  a  reverent  gratitude 
that  this  historic  event  in  the  life  of  our  country  was 
contemporaneous  with  the  founding  of  our  church, 
and  that  here  political  liberty  and  rational  religion,  the 
eternal  signals  of  human  progress,  were  established  to- 
gether by  men  who  brought  with  them  something  of 
the  continuity  of  history,  and  the  traditions  of  an 
advancing  race.  We  may  cherish  with  cheerful  humil- 
ity and  honorable  self-respect,  under  God,  the  feeling 
that  our  church  has  been  the  source  of  much  good,  and 
has  done  something,  not  only  for  the  spiritual  life  and 
growth  of  those  who  have  sustained  its  cause  and 
shared  its  ministrations,  but  also  for  that  general 
progress  of  religious  thought  from  dogmatic  assertion 
to  reasonable  conviction,  which  characterizes  the 


U2  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

better  mind  of  our  day.  We  have  had  an  honorable 
share  in  the  interpretation  of  human  life  in  the  light 
of  religion.  For  this,  we  reverently  thank  God,  whose 
inspiration  giveth  us  understanding. 

"This  date  is  the  thirtieth  anniversary  of  my  com- 
ing as  your  minister.  That  period  of  thirty  years  in- 
cludes more  than  half  the  period  of  the  American  occu- 
pation of  the  country,  and  of  the  life  of  our  church.  I 
would  give  it  no  personal  accent  or  importance.  When 
I  came,  Bellows  was  here ;  a  distinguished  figure  and 
remarkable  man  of  his  time,  who,  most  susceptible  to 
impression,  was  more  eloquent  than  Kossuth,  more 
witty  than  Sydney  Smith,  and  devout  as  Augustine. 
The  beloved  King  had  died  six  months  before ;  the  air 
was  fragrant  with  his  name,  and  the  vanishing  echoes 
of  his  voice  for  God  and  Country  were  still  heard.  The 
fires  of  war  cast  their  lurid  glare  from  shore  to  shore, 
and  grief  and  victory  wept  for  the  sorrows  of  the  land. 

"But  let  me  not  dwell  upon  the  past,  much  less 
speak  of  myself.  There  is  no  necessity  that  a  man 
should  speak  of  himself  among  those  who  know  him 
better  than  he  knows  himself,  only  bear  with  me  a 
little  if  I  boast  of  your  friendship,  and  am  proud  of 
your  fidelity.  I  can  ask  nothing  better  for  this  young 
man  than  that  you  receive  him,  as  you  have  me,  with 
magnanimous  moral  and  spiritual  hospitality.  Respect 
will  grow  to  admiration  and  love,  and  he  will  be  to 
you  what  he  is  already  to  his  friends  —  strength,  con- 
fidence, and  satisfaction. 


CALIFORNIA  MINISTRY  ENDS     113 

"Young  man,  I  bid  you  hail !  As  you  stand  upon  the 
threshold  of  the  future,  and  go  forward  to  the  work 
that  Heaven  ordains,  we  who  are  passing  salute  you, 
and  the  coming  race  takes  up  the  theme  1" 

For  the  thirty-first  anniversary  the  ladies  of  the 
congregation  had  planned  a  pleasant  acknowledg- 
ment in  the  form  of  a  portrait  in  oil  to  be  presented  to 
the  church.  Although  Dr.  Stebbins  usually  enjoyed 
good  health,  he  had  then  an  attack  of  weakness  that 
prevented  him  from  preaching  the  sermon  he  had  pre- 
pared, but  he  was  able  to  respond  to  the  words  of  the 
moderator  and  clerk.  A  large  number  were  present, 
and  at  the  close  of  the  services  pressed  around  Dr. 
Stebbins  to  express  their  regard.  He  was  much 
touched  by  their  sympathy  and  loyalty.  Subsequently 
he  preached  what  he  called  a  secular  discourse,  and  it 
was  published  by  the  Charming  Auxiliary.  It  gives 
an  estimate  of  the  results  of  the  past  thirty-one 
years. 

He  spoke  first  of  the  material  progress  of  the  State 
and  the  fact  that,  in  spite  of  the  spirit  naturally 
engendered  by  the  gold  discoveries,  there  had  been 
established  a  commonwealth  that  promised  to  rank 
high  in  world  states  by  its  institutions  of  law,  learn- 
ing, and  religion.  He  noted  signs  of  increasing  in- 
dustry and  economy,  alluded  prophetically  to  the 
dangers  involved  in  wine  and  liquor  production, 


-  1 14  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

declared  that  the  theory  of  the  minimum  of  business 
at  the  maximum  of  profit  must  give  way  to  the  theory 
of  the  maximum  of  business  at  the  minimum  of  profit, 
and  showed  that  the  tide  of  population  would  come 
When  people  knew  that  the  land  would  yield  compe- 
tence and  comfort  to  small  owners  of  good  habits  and 
little  money.  He  spoke  of  California's  inevitable  rela- 
tion to  the  Asiatic  races  in  the  opening  of  the  Orient 
and  her  responsibility  therein.  He  analyzed  tendencies 
of  society  and  of  the  public  press  and  found  the  remedy 
for  ills  and  wrong  in  the  education  that  in  the  large 
sense  includes  development  of  the  intellectual  and 
moral  nature  of  man,  and  relies  on  the  evolution  of  the 
individual  for  the  renovation  of  society.  He  con- 
cluded with  a  statement  that  embodied  his  mature 
conceptions  of  religion ;  and  closed  with  the  thought 
that  a  teacher  of  religion  is  the  interpreter  of  human 
life  in  its  true  relations.  He  closed  with  the  words: 
"How  feebly  I  have  filled  this  ideal  in  these  years  of 
the  lifetime  of  a  generation,  I  know  and  God  knows ; 
but  in  no  folly  of  self-adulation,  in  deep  and  tender 
humility,  this  has  been  my  aim;  and  my  honor  and 
respect  for  you  are  that  you  have  sustained  me  in  it, 
by  your  steadfast  hearts  and  by  your  vision  on  the 
mount.  I  am  and  have  been  among  you  a  much  em- 
ployed man.  I  have  not  withheld  my  hand  or  my 
heart  as  a  minister,  a  man,  or  a  citizen  from  any  human 
interest,  within  the  reach  of  limited  capacity  and 
prescribed  duty ;  and  my  proud  humility  and  gratitude 


CALIFORNIA  MINISTRY  ENDS     115 

are,  under  God,  that  men  and  women  from  every  con- 
dition and  circumstance  of  life  have  come  to  me  sim- 
ply because  they  thought  I  was  human.  If  life  and 
strength  are  given,  I  may  render  you  better  service 
yet,  the  riper  fruits  of  experience,  some  dearer  vision 
of  God." 

In  April,  1895,  occurred  the  ninetieth  birthday  of 
Martineau,  and  among  the  words  of  greeting  to  him 
Dr.  Stebbins  wrote : 

"REVEREND  AND  DEAR  DR.  MARTINEAU:  Indulge 
me,  I  pray  you,  for  the  sake  of  the  satisfaction  it  gives 
my  own  heart,  to  convey  to  you  my  revering,  grateful, 
and  affectionate  regards.  If  to  be  honored  and  beloved 
is  the  full  cup  of  earthly  joy,  your  joy  is  full.  If  to 
awaken  the  mind  and  heart  of  man  to  the  deepest 
truth  of  his  being  is  the  purest  and  noblest  service, 
you  are  among  the  great  teachers  of  mankind.  Among 
those  who,  in  different  lands,  rejoice  to  see  your  day, 
I  offer  thanks  to  God  that  through  you  he  has  been 
revealed  to  many  souls,  and  that  in  loving  you  they 
have  loved  him." 

On  August  23,  1896,  Dr.  Stebbins  preached  a  noble 
sermon  on  "Manliness."  It  was  in  the  nature  of  a 
farewell  to  his  assistant,  the  Reverend  William  G. 
Eliot,  Jr.,  who  after  two  years  of  service  went  to  Mil- 
waukee to  take  charge  of  its  pulpit.  He  said  he  would 
make  no  elaborate  adieux  to  one  "who  goes  out  in 


n6  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

obedience  to  inward  promptings  to  the  open  field  of 
the  world  to  cast  the  seed  of  truth  on  fresh  furrows." 
He  assured  him  of  ardent  wishes,  and  reminded  him, 
and  himself,  of  the  office  and  duty  of  a  minister,  "  to 
unfold  the  principles  of  moral  and  spiritual  truth,  to 
awaken  the  sentiments  and  affections  of  the  heart,  and 
lift  up  those  ideals  that  ever  draw  the  wondering  eyes 
to  the  mountain-tops  that  lie  between  this  and  a 
hidden  world." 

In  December,  1897,  Dr.  Stebbins  wrote  to  Mr.  Eli 
T.  Sheppard,  the  essayist,  who  had  read  a  paper  at  the 
Chit-Chat  Club  on  "The  Future  of  the  Pacific" 

"Mv  DEAR  MR.  SHEPPARD  :  I  was  sorry  not  to  be 
present  to  hear  you.  All  expected  much,  and  I  am 
assured  that  they  were  not  disappointed.  I  do  not 
know  the  precise  view  you  took  of  the  final  part  that 
shall  be  acted  in  the  scene  of  History,  on  this  now 
vacant  sea.  I  am  an  Asiatic,  and  have  always  held 
the  opinion  that  this  western  shore  of  the  continent 
would  wait  the  slow  process  of  Oriental  life,  and 
depend  for  its  full  development  on  our  relations  with 
the  Asiatic  races.  As  our  religion  began  in  Asia,  and 
took  its  westward  way,  so  it  will  complete  its  circuit 
and  finally  touch  the  spot  whence  it  arose.  Great 
changes  are  going  on,  and  a  hundred  years  may  wit- 
ness China  divided  among  the  nations,  or  raised  to 
equal  rights  among  the  'most  favored.'  But  let  me 
not  prophesy!  I  am  content  in  the  Faith  that  there  is  a 
providence  in  History." 


CALIFORNIA  MINISTRY  ENDS     117 

Dr.  Stebbins's  attitude  to  Christian  Science  is  set 
forth  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Carol  Norton,  dated  in  1898. 
He  writes : 

"My  interest  in  Christian  Science  is  drawn  from 
observation  and  converse  with  devotees,  rather  than 
from  careful  studies.  In  conversation  with  intelligent 
disciples  of  this  school,  I  have  been  led  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  center  of  gravity  of  the  theme  is  in  the 
influence  of  mind  over  matter ;  or,  put  more  humanely, 
self-control  under  the  laws  of  moral  rectitude  and 
purity.  Of  course,  the  very  gravamen  of  our  religion, 
as  expressed  in  thought  or  action,  is  just  this,  but  I  fail 
to  discover  anything  new  in  it,  either  to  saints  or 
sinners,  or  to  find  in  it  a  ground  for  that  'exact  science* 
of  which  you  speak.  I  cannot  understand  how  a  moral 
and  spiritual  world  can  be  reduced  to  what  is  called 
demonstration.  The  glory  of  moral  being  is  that  what 
is  apprehended  is  greater  than  the  comprehended,  and 
the  demonstrable  is  the  narrow  border-land  of  the 
infinite.  The  guides  of  life,  thought,  and  action,  are 
judgments,  probabilities,  faith,  and  hopes.  Abolish 
these  by  demonstration,  and  reduce  the  world  to 
mathematics,  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars  would  fall, 
and  the  bleak  heavens  would  mark  the  .hopeless  world. 
There  is  in  Christian  Science  an  element  of  miraculism 
which  contradicts  our  most  elementary  and  funda- 
mental idea  of  science  as  right  knowledge:  but  the 
theme  is  too  large  for  discussion  here.  I  thank  you 
sincerely  for  your  cordiality,  and  assure  you  of  my 
great  respect." 


n8  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

In  July,  1898,  the  Class  of  '48  of  Harvard  Univer- 
sity, of  which  Dr.  Stebbins  was  a  member,  celebrated 
its  fiftieth  anniversary.  He  was  unable  to  attend,  but 
sent  a  letter,  which  has  especial  interest  as  expressing 
some  general  conclusions  reached  at  the  eminence  of 
seventy-seven.  He  said : 

"Of  myself  I  will  not  speak,  more  than  to  say  that  I 
have  been  as  happy  as  is  common  to  human  lot  under 
a  Divine  Providence,  and  had  as  good  success  as  a 
man  like  me  can  reasonably  expect.  I  also  confess 
with  grateful  humility  that  I  have  taken  great  satis- 
faction in  my  vocation,  and,  it  may  be,  have  rendered 
some  service  to  my  time  and  the  welfare  of  my  fellow- 
men.  I  am  especially  glad,  too,  that  years  find  me 
good-natured,  and  that,  amid  all  human  vicissitude  of 
ignorance,  weakness,  or  wrong,  I  have  a  cheerful  heart 
toward  humankind,  am  a  believer  in  the  world,  and 
an  ardent  lover  of  human  nature  as  the  best  thing 
God  has  ever  made.  I  am  no  sentimentalist,  but  a 
severe  moralist,  tempered  by  the  genial  charities  of 
religion  and  cheered  by  a  great  hope." 

On  August  21,  1898,  Dr.  Stebbins  felt  moved  to 
express  his  satisfaction  at  the  public  act  of  a  foreign 
ambassador,  then  at  Berlin.  He  sent  this  letter : 

"HoN.  ANDREW  D.  WHITE:  I  thank  you  heart- 
ily for  your  speech  at  Leipzig  on  the  Fourth  of  July. 
It  is  distinguished  for  wisdom,  discretion,  and  inde- 
pendence, united  with  that  felicity  of  expression  which 


CALIFORNIA  MINISTRY  ENDS     119 

becomes  the  courtesy  of  nations.  Your  position  has 
been  of  such  delicacy  that  we,  here  at  home,  have  felt 
a  lively  interest  in  your  conduct,  and  it  is  a  source  of 
great  and  proud  satisfaction,  that  our  confidence  has 
been  abundantly  justified.  Your  speech  displays  the 
qualities  of  a  discreet  politician,  a  wise  statesman,  and 
an  independent  champion  of  freedom.  The  touchy 
spirit  of  the  German  Emperor  has,  in  some  minds, 
excited  evil  forebodings ;  in  others,  derision.  You  have 
ignored  these  extremes,  by  the  path  of  right  reason, 
and  the  manners  of  a  prince  of  liberty.  That  is  a 
singular  felicity  of  speech  where  you  give  our  cause 
such  historic  setting:  'The  struggle  of  a  new  era  of 
right  against  an  old  era  of  wrong.'  The  war  was  inevit- 
able ;  it  is  over :  my  only  desire  now  is  that  diplomacy 
may  be  so  wise  and  so  honorable  that  statesmen  may 
believe  in  one  another  in  all  national  efforts  to  pro- 
mote the  welfare  of  humankind.  Bismarck  is  dead! 
The  heavens  do  not  weep ;  nor  is  there  a  ripple  of  grief 
in  the  heart  of  man.  A  statesman  so  bereft  of  great 
human  nature  as  to  think  of  founding  a  modern  state 
without  principles  of  individual  liberty  does  not 
attract  the  applause  nor  the  gratitude  of  the  world. 
I  hope  you  are  well  and  enjoying  the  well-earned 
reputation  which  your  varied  public  service  justifies." 

Dr.  Stebbins  endeared  himself  to  many  in  the  com- 
munity who  were  not  identified  with  his  church.  His 
friendliness  and  his  services  were  not  confined  within 


120  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

any  ecclesiastical  or  theological  banks,  and  he  was 
always  ready  to  respond  to  any  call  or  need.  An  ex- 
sea-captain  of  Episcopalian  affiliations  fell  ill,  and 
relapsed  into  invalidism.  He  was  fond  of  Dr.  Stebbins, 
and  nothing  seemed  to  brighten  him  like  a  call  from 
the  much-occupied  preacher,  who  regularly  and  fre- 
quently dropped  in  to  see  him;  and  this  habit  con- 
tinued as  long  as  the  Captain  lived. 

Added  to  Dr.  Stebbins's  generosity  was  entire 
independence  and  disinterestedness.  He  was  faithful 
to  his  church,  but  he  commanded  community  respect 
and  confidence,  and  the  strong  men  of  business  and 
leaders  in  public  affairs  believed  in  him  and  trusted 
him  fully.  They  were  ready  to  help  him,  and  so  he 
became  practically  influential,  and  able  to  help  those 
who  were  out  of  employment.  His  opinion  carried 
weight,  and  on  any  public  matter  his  attitude  had 
value. 

It  was  a  fortunate  circumstance  that  the  Unitarian 
Church  in  the  controlling  community  of  the  State  of 
California  was  represented  continuously,  by  two  men 
of  the  strength  and  character  of  Starr  King  and 
Horatio  Stebbins.  It  gave  it  a  standing  and  a  respect 
not  always  accorded.  No  California  Unitarian  ever 
thinks  of  being  apologetic  for  his  faith.  Neither  has 
he  any  excuse  for  being  a  narrow  and  illiberal  liberal. 
His  traditions  ought  to  be  generous,  without  com- 
placency or  contempt.  Dr.  Stebbins  never  sought  to 
build  up  his  church  by  destroying  any  other.  Neither 


CALIFORNIA  MINISTRY  ENDS     121 

did  he  indulge  in  attacks  or  disparagement.  At  differ- 
ent times,  as  opportunity  offered,  he  expressed  sym- 
pathy and  appreciation  with  many  other  forms  of 
faith. 

In  1900,  Mr.  Rolla  V.  Watt,  a  prominent  and  loyal 
Methodist,  had  publicly  expressed  his  disappointment 
at  the  apathy  and  weakness  of  his  church.  Dr.  Steb- 
bins  wrote  him  a  considerate  letter,  recalling  his  early 
observations  and  his  present  regard  for  Methodism, 
and  besought  his  friend  to  be  patient,  and  not  to  forget 
the  honorable  record  and  continued  excellence  of  a 
great  church.  He  often  showed  his  friendliness  with 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  had  no  sympathy 
with  those  who  distrusted  and  feared  it  He  was 
generally  on  good  terms  with  those  from  whom  he 
widely  differed.  Generous  and  magnanimous  by  na- 
ture, he  preserved  a  sense  of  perspective  that  did 
not  distort  the  truth. 

The  discourses  of  Dr.  Stebbins  were  thoroughly  pre- 
pared. They  were  never  long  and  rarely  exceeded 
twenty  minutes,  but  were  often  so  packed  with 
thought  that  they  seemed  to  embrace  enough  material 
for  at  least  two  sermons.  He  was  distrustful  of  the 
diffusiveness  of  extemporaneous  speaking,  though  he 
was  known  on  occasion  to  develop  an  introductory 
allusion  to  Fome  current  occurrence  into  a  complete 
address,  allowing  his  manuscript  to  remain  unopened. 
His  sermons  were  always  constructive  and  affirmative, 


122  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

never  controversial.  He  was  earnest,  but  never  pas- 
sionate. He  was  calm  with  the  dignity  of  a  strong  man 
uttering  deep  convictions.  His  use  of  language  was 
apt,  and  his  illustrations  were  original  and  effective. 
He  was  an  attractive  speaker,  but  he  demanded 
thoughtful  hearing  and  to  follow  him  was  no  easy 
task.  He  enjoyed  his  congregation,  and  it  gained  the 
credit  of  showing  unusually  quiet  and  absorbed  at- 
tention. He  wrote  deliberately,  taking  all  the  time 
required  to  express  himself  clearly,  often  delaying  a 
sentence  to  find  the  exact  word  to  express  his  meaning. 
When  the  sermon  was  complete,  it  was  beautiful  in 
appearance,  written  in  bold  and  striking  characters, 
without  interlineation  or  correction.  In  the  Pacific 
School  for  the  Ministry  there  have  been  deposited 
some  eight  hundred  manuscripts  of  sermons,  and 
hardly  an  amended  sentence  is  to  be  found. 

Dr.  Stebbins  usually  enjoyed  robust  health,  but 
along  in  1897  and  1898  he  had  several  serious  warn- 
ings. On  December  16,  1899,  he  felt  oppressed,  and 
unable  to  fill  his  pulpit.  The  next  day  he  had  a  severe 
attack  of  apparent  heart  failure,  and  the  end  seemed 
near.  Tuesday  morning  he  was  better,  and  full  of 
courage  but  weak.  He  said  to  me :  "Early  this  morn- 
ing we  had  a  storm  center  and  I  thought  the  end  had 
come.  My  son  held  me  up  with  strength  like  an 
angel's  and  here  I  am,  at  peace  with  the  world  and  all 
mankind." 


CALIFORNIA  MINISTRY  ENDS     123 

For  ten  days  his  life  trembled  in  the  balance,  and 
then  he  steadily  improved.  The  trustees  felt  that 
every  possible  relief  must  be  given  him,  and,  after 
supplies  had  filled  the  pulpit  for  January,  they  engaged 
the  Reverend  Stopford  W.  Brooke,  of  Boston,  to  sup- 
ply for  several  months,  until  Dr.  Stebbins  was  able  to 
resume  his  ministry.  On  January  22  he  felt  constrained 
to  resign  —  "that  you  may  be  free,"  he  wrote,  "to 
act  according  to  the  dictates  of  your  discretion,  and 
as  the  welfare  of  the  church  demands." 

The  resignation  was  read  to  the  congregation  and 
the  trustees  reported  that  there  was  no  other  thought 
than  retaining  the  existing  relation  as  long  as  he  lived, 
and  that  it  was  fondly  hoped  he  might  soon  be  in  his 
pulpit.  The  resignation  was  formally  declined  and 
the  moderator  was  instructed  to  confer  from  time  to 
time  as  to  further  action.  His  health  steadily  im- 
proved during  the  succeeding  months.  He  saw  his 
friends,  walked  about,  and  was  full  of  courage  and 
faith.  Mr.  Brooke  served  very  acceptably  for  five 
months.  Dr.  Stebbins  preached  on  June  n  and  was 
able  happily  to  round  out  thirty-five  years  of  service 
with  his  anniversary  service  of  September  n. 

On  that  occasion  the  congregations  of  his  church  and 
of  the  Second  Unitarian  Church  joined  in  commemo- 
rating the  event.  The  services  were  held  in  the  First 
Church,  the  Reverend  Andrew  J.  Wells  offering  the 
prayer  and  reading  the  scriptures.  Dr.  Stebbins  took 


124  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

for  his  text  the  passage  from  Deuteronomy  where 
Moses  was  commanded  :  "  Get  thee  up  into  the  top  of 
the  hill,  and  lift  up  thine  eyes  westward  and  northward 
and  southward  and  eastward,  and  behold  with  thine 
eyes."  He  made  rapid  survey  of  the  half-century 
drawing  to  a  close,  and  added: 

"This  church  has  stood  for  those  great  principles  of 
freedom  and  independence  in  religious  thought  that 
must  ever  be  the  ally  of  reason  and  of  faith.  It 
churches  or  unchurches  no  man.  It  inquires  not  for 
the  particular  items  of  his  belief,  nor  puts  him  on  trial 
for  his  opinions,  but  simply  organizes  religion  for  the 
purpose  of  teaching,  worship,  and  prayer,  and  the 
good  works  of  honor,  truth,  and  love. 

"A  minister  should  know  the  world  without  being 
worldly,  understand  the  wickedness  of  the  world 
without  partaking  its  wickedness,  though  he  himself 
is  weak ;  sympathizing  with  men  of  all  ranks  and  con- 
ditions, severely  upright,  yet  tender-hearted.  Beyond 
that  there  is  not  much  that  I  believe  I  would  tell  any- 
body. I  would  talk  with  anybody,  and  supplement 
my  own  experience  by  his,  and  increase  the  breadth 
of  my  knowledge,  and  learn  to  know  how  little  I  know, 
yet  standing  firm  as  a  rock  in  the  eternal  verities  of 
moral  and  spiritual  being. 

"The  prosperity  of  this  church  has  been  a  kind  of 
steady-going  strength  without  proselytism  or  compe- 
tition, relying  simply  on  the  moral  and  spiritual  attrac- 
tions of  religious  truth,  interpreted  by  reverent  faith, 


CALIFORNIA  MINISTRY  ENDS     125 

imagination,  reason,  and  common  sense.  The  preacher 
has  spoken  from  the  level  of  his  mind,  and  the  people 
have  heard  with  tolerant  mind  and  receptive  heart. 
There  has  been  no  trial  for  heresy  and  no  meddling 
with  private  opinions,  and  the  human  sentiments  of 
mutual  sympathy  and  honor  have  been  our  bond  of 
thought,  feeling,  and  actidn.  Religion  is  not  a  pro- 
fession ;  it  is  human  nature  and  life,  the  law  and  love 
of  our  being,  as  gravitation  is  in  earth  and  star,  and 
as  light  goes  forth  upon  land  and  sea.  We  have  only 
to  lay  hold  upon  that  law  and  love  within,  and  our 
being  becomes  real  to  us.  We  are  satisfied  that  though 
life  has  many  illusions  life  itself  is  no  deception ;  that 
we  ourselves  are  spiritual  beings  of  kindred  nature  with 
God ;  and  if  these  great  sentiments  sway  our  hearts, 
illume  our  reason,  and  inspire  our  action,  we  have,  by 
the  grace  of  God,  vested  rights  and  blessings  in 
immortality." 

The  moderator  of  the  church  then  stepped  forward 
and  asked  him  to  accept  a  simple  memorial  of  the 
regard  of  his  parishioners,  in  the  form  of  an  engrossed 
address,  bound  in  a  convenient  volume  and  signed  by 
many  friends.  Slipped  in  was  an  envelope  containing 
over  four  thousand  dollars. 

On  September  26,  Dr.  Stebbins,  feeling  that  his 
health  was  too  precarious  to  justify  him  in  longer 
continuance  of  service,  asked  to  be  definitely  relieved. 
With  reluctance  the  trustees  granted  his  request  and 


126  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

elected  him  Pastor  Emeritus ;  and  the  Reverend  Brad- 
ford Leavitt,  of  Washington,  D.C.,  was  called  as  min- 
ister. Dr.  StebbinsTs  health  greatly  improved  and  he 
was  able  to  fill  the  pulpit  frequently.  In  November 
he  preached  three  times  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  all. 

A  letter  to  Mr.  Eli  Sheppard,  written  early  in  1900, 
indicates  his  mental  and  physical  condition : 

"  I  am  having  a  low- toned  kind  of  health  that  admits 
some  comfort,  yet  exacts  some  carefulness.  Your 
speaking  of  me  so  kindly,  and  finding  here  and  there 
a  man  who  speaks  so,  impresses  me  much  with  senti- 
ments of  gratitude  toward  all.  I  feel  that  I  have  acted 
a  very  feeble  part,  yet  I  am  not  altogether  without 
self-respect.  As  years  increase,  and  the  profounder 
experience  of  thought  and  life  is  awakened,  I  am 
impressed  with  how  much  there  may  be  in  every  man 
that  has  not  been  called  out  or  used.  Abilities  lie 
scattered  all  around 'loose  that  life  has  not  fully 
appropriated.  Your  own  health  and  your  courage  have 
always  challenged  my  admiring  sympathy,  and  I  have 
held  the  hope  that  you  might  yet  be  delivered  of  all 
shipwreck  and  disaster,  and  have  a  free  course  of 
health  and  strength  worthy  your  gifts.  Whenever  I 
have  met  you,  I  have  felt  toward  you  the  happy  obli- 
gations of  an  indebted  mind.  My  work  is  done,  though 
I  will  not  lie  down  in  the  furrow,  but  will  plod  on  with 
a  slow  but  cheerful  gait  till  the  sun  has  set.  My  suc- 
cessor will  be  installed  next  Sunday  morning.  I  trust 
that  his  cheerful  confidence  will  be  justified.  I  am 


CALIFORNIA  MINISTRY  ENDS     127 

indeed  glad  that  you  have  such  a  fine  impression  of  the 
country  as  you  have  gone  through  different  sections, 
here  and  there.  I  felt  all  your  intelligent  enthusiasm 
in  regard  to  our  wonderful  land.  I  believe  in  it,  mind, 
heart,  and  soul ;  and  I  believe  there  is  to  be  a  display 
of  human  power  and  greatness  never  surpassed  on  the 
earth.  There  is  great  noise  among  the  nations,  and 
we  are  living  in  a  most  eventful  period.  The  world  is 
growing  smaller  every  year  through  the  influence  of 
swift  communication,  and  nations  are  becoming 
neighborhoods,  and  the  unity  of  mankind  is  dawning 
upon  the  world.  While  the  life  of  a  generation  is  short 
and  sees  little  change,  the  eternal  years  move  on  under 
the  guidance  of  Him  with  whom  a  thousand  years  is  as 
one  day,  and  one  day  is  a  thousand  years.  I  thank  you, 
indeed,  for  your  great  kindness.  Believe  me  that  it  is 
heartily  and  sincerely  reciprocated,  and  whether  I  see 
you  again  or  not  I  bear  upon  my  mind  and  heart  the 
cheerful  impression  of  your  image." 

On  January  14,  1900,  the  Reverend  Bradford 
Leavitt  was  installed.  Dr.  Stebbins  was  in  fine  spirits 
and  made  an  excellent  address.  Then,  turning  to  the 
people  he  besought  them  to  receive  his  successor  with 
the  cordial  hospitality  of  heart  and  mind,  which  they 
had  ever  shown  toward  him.  "  There  has  been  in  you," 
he  said,  "a  cordial,  sincere,  and  strong  respect  toward 
me  which  has  given  me  the  greatest  personal  satisfac- 
tion, and  you  have  been  very  patient  of  my  errors  and 


128  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

my  blunders,  with  that  good  sense  and  upright  judg- 
ment with  which  we  all  learn  at  length  to  take  a  man  as 
he  is,  and  not  as  he  ought  to  be.  This  young  man  comes 
approved  by  all  who  know  him.  Treat  him  manfully, 
with  confidence  and  trust,  and  thus  challenge  him  to  the 
noblest  things  there  are  in  him,  or  that  God  can  give." 

A  session  of  the  Pacific  Coast  Conference  was  held 
at  Berkeley  on  May  2  and  3,  1900.  The  general  topic 
was  "A  Century  of  the  Unitarian  Movement  in 
America."  On  the  afternoon  of  the  2d,  there  were  five 
five-minute  papers  or  addresses  on  related  topics.  Dr. 
Stebbins  was  asked  to  speak  on  "The  Contribution  of 
the  Unitarian  Movement  to  Religious  Thoughts  and 
Ideas."  When  he  was  announced  and  stood  up  to 
speak,  the  entire  body  instinctively  arose,  to  pay  their 
respect  to  their  devoted  leader,  whose  early  departure 
made  it  probable  that  he  never  would  be  with  them 
again.  He  spoke  briefly,  but  effectively,  and  was  heard 
with  the  close  attention  he  always  received.  Without 
a  particle  of  boasting,  he  set  forth  with  firm  respect 
the  influence  of  liberal  teaching,  and  took  occasion  to 
deny  the  charge  that  our  position  was  one  of  negation : 

"There  never  was  anything  more  false.  It  is  an 
affirmation  of  the  true  nature  of  human  nature  and  of 
retribution.  It  was  a  denial  of  Calvinism,  that  terrible 
system  which  controlled  men  through  fear,  and  which 
could  only  be  outgrown  by  the  common  sense  of  man- 
kind. It  is  passing  away ;  it  is  now  substantially  gone. 


CALIFORNIA  MINISTRY  ENDS     129 

This  having  fallen  to  the  ground,  Unitarianism  comes 
in  as  the  common-sense  view  of  religion.  It  is  not  a 
dogmatic  creed,  but  a  way  of  thinking,  a  habit  of  mind. 
God  is  not  manifested  merely  in  three  persons,  but  in 
humanity."  He  alluded  to  the  great  contribution  of 
the  Reverend  George  R.  Noyes.  "  He  was  a  great  lover 
of  truth,  and  his  studies  are  the  track  of  light  that  has 
swept  through  our  heavens  for  a  hundred  years.  The 
destiny  of  our  way  of  thinking  is  safe.  A  man  who 
has  character  and  moral  courage  follows  his  thought 
We  know  the  truth  just  in  proportion  in  which  we  our- 
selves become  the  truth." 

Dr.  Stebbins  stood  in  his  San  Francisco  pulpit  for 
the  last  time  on  May  27,  1900,  four  days  before  he 
was  to  leave  for  Milton,  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Leavitt 
preached  a  brief  sermon,  Dr.  Stebbins  offering  the 
prayer,  and  speaking  impressive  words  of  farewell. 
He  said  he  had  come  to  the  church  on  this  last  Sunday 
because  he  wanted  to  join  in  the  service  of  praise  and 
prayer.  As  he  had  stood  upon  the  corner  and  looked  at 
the  building,  its  stony  face  softened  by  the  vines  that 
caught  the  morning  sun,  it  had  seemed  to  typify  the 
religion  to  whose  service  it  was  dedicated.  It  was 
strong  and  conscious  of  power;  it  spoke  of  rest  and 
peace.  Of  his  ministry  he  would  not  speak.  If  it  had 
been  helpful,  if  it  had  been  able  to  do  any  good,  it  was 
because  of  the  inspiring  God,  and  it  would  be  immortal. 
He  had  always  entertained  a  respect  for  his  people, 


1 30  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

for  their  intelligence  and  faithfulness.  He  recognized 
Humanity  as  the  greatest  of  churches,  a  communion 
that  transcends  all  others.  First  of  all,  God  had  made 
him  a  man ;  and  the  inspiration  to  become  a  minis- 
ter had  come  to  him  when,  beneath  the  trees  of  his 
father's  farm,  he  read  the  words  of  the  greatest  spirit 
of  mankind.  His  ministry  to  this  church  had  covered 
more  than  thirty-five  years  —  a  long  period  in  the 
activity  of  a  human  life.  If  he  had  ever  said  anything 
to  offend,  he  asked  forgiveness ;  if  he  had  been  guilty 
of  neglect,  it  had  been  without  intent ;  if  he  had  ever 
seemed  to  fail  of  sympathy  in  times  of  sorrow,  he 
adjured  them  to  believe  it  not.  If  he  had  a  wish  to 
express  for  the  future  of  the  church  and  its  people,  it 
was  that  they  might  continue  to  bear  the  name  Uni- 
tarian. The  best  thought  of  all  lands  tends  to  converge 
in  the  acceptance  of  unity  of  natural  law,  unity  of 
humanity,  unity  of  God.  In  conclusion,  he  spoke  of  his 
gratitude  for  all  he  had  enjoyed.  He  had  always  endeav- 
ored to  speak  to  the  reason,  the  faith,  and  the  love  of 
his  hearers.  Now  he  followed  where  the  hand  of  Provi- 
dence seemed  to  lead,  and  with  gratitude,  confidence, 
and  trust  he  wished  his  congregation  a  cheerful,  a  grate- 
ful, and  a  happy  good-morning.  After  the  singing  of  a 
hymn  he  pronounced  a  tender  benediction  with  a  voice 
as  strong  and  unfaltering  as  the  noble  heart  it  echoed. 
The  long,  blessed  ministry  was  at  an  end.  Worn  in 
body,  but  with  mind  unimpaired  and  spirit  undaunted, 
he  joined  his  children,  calmly  to  await  his  earthly  end. 


CHAPTER  VII 

QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE 

DR.  STEBBINS  continued  in  fair  health,  occasionally 
preaching  and  not  unfrequently  officiating  at  the 
funeral  of  some  friend.  In  early  May,  1900,  he  decided 
to  return  to  New  England,  largely  to  be  near  his  three 
children.  He  gave  up  his  home  on  Larkin  Street, 
associated  with  sacred  memories,  and  on  May  31  pro- 
ceeded to  Milton,  Massachusetts.  He  sent  to  the  July 
Pacific  Unitarian  a  pleasant  account  of  crossing  the 
continent. 

"Travel  across  the  continent  is  now  so  frequent  that 
nothing  new  can  be  said  about  it,  and  the  scene  awak- 
ens no  surprise  in  the  traveler  himself.  We  took  our 
places  on  the  train  at  evening,  gave  pleasant  adieu  to 
friends,  and  were  greeted  on  board  by  the  faithful 
porter,  who  accosted  me,  calling  me  by  name  as  if  he 
knew  me  well,  saying,  'Dr.  Stebbins,  if  I  can  do  any- 
thing for  you,  let  me  know.  I'll  be  glad  to  do  anything 
I  can  to  elevate  your  comfort ! ' 

"It  is  said  that  when  men  become  travelers  they 
grow  selfish,  and  that  it  is  a  kind  of  every-one-for- 
himself,  and  the  Devil  take  the  hindmost.  I  think, 
however,  that  that  saying  is  modified  by  the  spirit 
and  manners  of  those  who  travel.  People  whom  you 
meet  crossing  the  country  from  west  to  east  are,  on 


HORATIO  STEBBINS 

the  whole,  polite,  accommodating,  and  good-natured. 
Politeness  to  women  is  certainly  characteristic  of  the 
spirit  of  the  people,  and  makes  travel  for  ladies  alone 
entirely  becoming  and  independent. 

"  During  the  night  of  Thursday  the  double  engines 
tugged  and  puffed  up  the  mountains,  and  at  early 
morning  we  could  discern  that  we  were  running  down- 
hill on  the  eastern  side,  where  the  waters  flow  in 
another  direction.  The  second  day  is  the  time  to  set 
down  to  business  and  get  adapted.  The  way  is  rather 
dry  and  tedious,  and  yet  there  is  no  hardship  unless 
you  are  inclined  to  complain  —  and  who  is  not  ?  The 
country,  dry,  barren,  and  lonely  as  it  seems,  yet  bears 
some  marks  of  civilization  and  culture,  here  and  there, 
and  it  is  noticeable  that  fewer  Indians  cling  to  the 
train  or  linger  about  the  stations  than  thirty  years  ago. 
Where  the  Indians  are  I  do  not  know.  Some  say  they 
have  gone  farther  south. 

"Ogden  looks  large  and  bustling,  the  focus  of  in- 
dustry and  railways,  a  point  from  which  you  can  go 
anywhere,  if  you  take  the  right  train ;  and  if  you  take 
the  wrong  train,  you  are  sure  to  be  landed  somewhere. 
Onward  through  to  Omaha  the  country  shows  increas- 
ing cultivation ;  stations  are  more  frequent.  Pleasant 
farms  and  industrious  populations  tell  of  the  increas- 
ing life  and  power  of  the  State.  Omaha  is  a  beautiful 
town  with  a  public  school  situated  on  a  noble  eminence 
that  overlooks  a  boundless  country  of  land  and  river. 

"When  one  comes  near  the  city  of  Chicago,  he  feels 


QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE     133 

a  little  throb  of  wonder,  mystery,  and  fear.  Chicago 
is  a  terrible  town,  not  pleasant,  but  awful,  industrially, 
commercially,  socially,  or  morally.  All  the  world  is 
there,  of  every  tribe  and  race  and  nation  on  the  earth. 
It  seems  now  to  have  an  overflow  of  population,  more 
than  can  be  employed  or  fed,  and  thousands  of 
industrious  men  have  left  to  find  in  other  fields  or 
cities  an  outlet  for  their  pent-up,  smothered  life. 
Externally  Chicago  is  indeed  a  terrible  city,  full  of  all 
human  powers,  destined  to  a  greater  greatness  among 
the  cities  of  the  world ;  not  a  pleasant  city  to  live  in, 
it  may  be,  but  how  little  that  has  to  do  with  the 
founding  of  the  cities  of  the  world ;  the  natural  centers 
of  activity  settle  that  1 

"One  day  more,  through  a  thickly  peopled  country, 
where  towns,  villages,  and  cities  are  seen  as  flashlights 
in  the  darkness  of  night  or  flecking  the  brilliant  land- 
scape by  day ;  and  we  arrive  at  Boston,  on  time  to  a 
minute  (three  o'clock),  and  from  the  train  in  half  an 
hour  step  into  a  pleasant  little  cottage  house,  with 
table  spread  and  adorned  with  flowers." 

A  few  days  after  his  arrival  he  wrote :  "We  are  com- 
fortably settled  in  the  midst  of  beauty  above  and 
around,  and  our  hearts  are  blooming  with  memories 
and  gratitude  fairer  than  earth  or  sky." 

Soon  afterwards  he  wrote :  "I  have  kept  quite  still 
and  am  rather  enjoying  it.  I  am  about,  so,  and  do  not 
expect  anything  else.  I  went  to  Commencement,  and 


134  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

returned  as  soon  as  I  could  get  out.  I  have  been  out  on 
the  trolley  cars,  twenty  miles.  They  run  everywhere 
and  afford  the  easiest  outing.  I  went  to  church  on 
Sunday  morning  and  heard  Roderick.  I  have  rarely 
enjoyed  a  service  of  greater  refinement,  dignity,  and 
reverence." 

By  husbanding  his  strength  he  was  able  to  enjoy 
much.  In  another  note  he  says :  "If  I  am  able,  I  am 
going  to  Cambridge  this  afternoon,  not  to  do  any- 
thing, but  to  meet  the  ministers,  who  have  an  address 
and  an  hour  together.  I  shall  not  be  able  to  hear  the 
address  by  Fenn,  but  maybe  I  will  dine  with  them, 
and  come  home." 

On  July  18, 1900,  Dr.  Stebbins  wrote :  "Commence- 
ment at  Harvard  is  a  great  day.  The  order  and  cere- 
mony of  the  occasion  are  impressive,  and  one  feels 
that  a  university  is  a  school  not  only  of  learning,  but 
also  of  manners  and  propriety.  There  is  in  it,  too,  a 
mingled  joy  and  sobriety,  such  as  youth  feels  when 
his  academic  course  is  ended  and  the  realities  of  prac- 
tical life  and  experience  are  before  him.  The  scene 
is  impressive,  giving  a  kind  of  cosmopolitan  view 
of  society,  its  complex  and  multiplied  interests  and 
increasing  wants.  All  sorts  of  learning,  from  Greek 
letters  to  veterinary  medicine,  from  philosophy  to 
dentistry,  from  fine  arts  to  sanitary  engineering,  are 
included,  to  meet  the  demands  of  society  in  this 
modern  age.  As  the  scene  moves  on,  the  chief  figure  is 


QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE     135 

President  Eliot.  With  ease  of  natural  dignity  and 
refinement,  he  announces  the  graduation  of  those  who 
have  pursued  prescribed  studies,  and  confers  academic 
honors  upon  men  distinguished  for  public  service  in 
different  fields.  His  voice,  without  effort,  by  simple 
force  of  articulation  and  clear  utterance,  is  distinctly 
heard  where  other  voices  are  lost  —  indistinct  mur- 
murs among  the  waiting  throng.  This  clear  enuncia- 
tion is  characteristic  of  the  man.  Among  university 
men  he  is  an  acknowledged  leader.  In  that  patient, 
long-winded  tact  that  pursues  a  purpose  with  untiring 
will,  in  the  conception  of  the  relation  of  means  to  ends, 
which  is  the  wisdom  of  all  great  enterprises,  and  the 
common  sense  of  daily  life,  he  is  unsurpassed.  One 
says,  'I  wish  he  were  President  of  the  United  States.' 
But  is  a  four  years'  hold  of  the  policy  of  a  party  a 
greater  influence  than  a  thirty-years'  presidency  of  a 
great  university  ?  Influence  may  be  difficult  to  define, 
but  there  is  a  distinction,  no  doubt,  between  quantity 
and  quality.  President  Eliot  has  demonstrated,  if 
anybody  ever  doubted  it,  that  power  must  be  at  the 
center  if  anything  would  be  made  to  go. 

"An  important  event  is  the  coming  of  twelve 
hundred  teachers  from  Cuba  to  be  taught  at  Harvard 
and  to  observe  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  coun- 
try. The  fact  that  they  wanted  to  come  and  that 
Harvard  invited  them  to  come  is  an  unspeakable  good. 
While  war  is  to  be  deplored  and  the  doctrine  that 
might  makes  right  is  to  be  repudiated,  it  cannot  be 


136  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

denied  that  might  makes  a  way  for  right.  The  coming 
of  the  teachers  from  Cuba  is  a  signal  event  of  our  time, 
changing  the  lurid  glare  of  war  to  a  beacon-light 
warning  and  cheering  the  nations.  Cuba  is  doing  well, 
better  than  in  centuries  before." 

Later  he  wrote :  "The  Cubans  have  concluded  their 
studies  and  delights,  and  are  about  to  return.  They 
have  had  a  '  great  time.'  Their  coming  may  be  reck- 
oned among  the  distinguished  events  of  our  time,  and 
illustrates  in  a  striking  manner  that  in  the  great  union 
and  relation  of  peoples  and  nations  in  the  modern  age 
a  great  nation  cannot  put  forth  its  power  and  receive 
the  approval  of  mankind  without  bestowing  some  good 
upon  the  world." 

Of  the  death  of  Collis  P.  Huntington,  he  wrote :  "A 
conspicuous  figure  in  the  business  of  the  world,  and  a 
striking  illustration  of  the  union  of  daring  yet  careful 
energy  and  great  opportunity,  he  was  a  born  genius 
of  business,  with  a  keen  scent  for  values.  He  asked  no 
favors  and  gave  none.  He  stuck  to  his  'line  of  things' 
and  knew  what  he  was  good  for.  He  also  had  a  fine 
perception  of  what  other  men  were  good  for,  and  com- 
monly put  the  right  man  in  the  right  place." 

Life  in  Dr.  Stebbins's  new  surroundings  opened  very 
pleasantly.  To  be  near  his  son  and  many  friends,  to 
have  all  his  family  around  him,  to  be  free  from  care 
and  responsibility  and  yet  to  be  able  to  preach  as 


QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE     137 

opportunity  offered,  was  happiness.  In  August  he 
preached  in  Plymouth,  and  was  much  impressed  with 
its  charm  and  historical  interest.  He  wrote  enter- 
tainingly of  it  for  the  Pacific  Unitarian,  in  which  he 
always  felt  a  deep  interest : 

"Monuments  and  memorials  are  here  and  there  and 
everywhere,  from  the  posts  of  the  doors  of  ancient 
houses  to  chiseled  stone  of  monumental  grandeur. 
Relics  of  ancient  custom,  from  spinning-wheels,  fire- 
locks, and  swords  to  records  of  nearly  three  centuries, 
give  an  impression  of  a  past  on  the  theater  of  human 
action  which  no  scene  of  wild  Nature  in  her  awful 
silence  suggests.  The  presence  of  man  gives  chief 
interest  to  the  world,  and  his  fortunes,  brief  as  they 
are  compared  with  the  geologic  ages,  are  forever  the 
theme  of  history,  philosophy,  poetry,  and  song.  The 
fame  and  interest  of  Plymouth  will  increase  as  time 
goes  on  and  the  mind  of  the  country  from  East  to  West 
becomes  more  historic.  The  town  holds  its  own. 
Though  it  will  not  be  a  great  center  of  thronging  popu- 
lation, it  will  be  all  the  more  on  that  account  the 
appropriate  keeper  of  some  of  the  most  interesting 
archives  that  attest  the  unbroken  chain  that  unites 
our  country  with  the  great  struggles  for  liberty 
throughout  the  world.  What  would  have  been  the 
result  if  these  rocky  shores  had  been  a  field  of  gold? 
I  will  not  undertake  to  picture  the  scene  or  write  up 
the  past  with  an  */.  I  glory  in  the  great  and  honorable 
past,  and  am  not  unmindful  of  the  debt  I  owe  to  the 


ij 8  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

master-spirits  who  rule  the  race,  yet  'I  think  it  lucky 
I  was  born  so  late.' " 


In  September  his  son,  Horatio,  entered  the  Massa- 
chusetts Institute  of  Technology,  and  as  his  daughter 
Lucy  was  in  Radcliffe,  the  family  home  was  established 
in  Cambridge. 

In  October  occurred  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of 
the  San  Francisco  church,  and  he  sent  a  letter  of 
greeting : 

"We  do  well  to  celebrate  with  praise,  gratitude,  and 
thanksgiving  the  half-century  anniversary  of  our 
church.  It  has  been  a  most  honorable  and  much- 
beloved  institution,  and,  under  God,  has  kept  alive  the 
sacred  fire  kindled  by  this  inspiration,  and  replenished 
the  fountain  of  that  stream  that  flows  from  age  to  age 
and  from  generation  to  generation,  refreshing  the  life 
of  man  as  long  as  time  shall  endure. 

"The  origin  of  our  church  is  a  testimony  of  the  com- 
mon want  of  our  nature  for  some  recognition  of  its 
divine  relations,  and  is  a  sure  guaranty  that  religion 
will  never  die  out  on  the  earth.  While  yet  the  site  of 
this  town  was  a  heap  of  sand,  and  the  lazy  tide  swept 
in  upon  a  hitherto  idle  shore,  a  few  men  who  felt  that 
religion  was  the  high  and  final  interpretation  of  human 
life,  in  harmony  with  reason,  intelligence,  and  moral 
sense,  and  that  faith  in  God  is  the  supreme  action  of 
the  mind  and  heart  and  will,  met  in  confidence  and 
trust  toward  Him  for  mutual  counsel  and  prayer,  and 


QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE     139 

laid  the  foundations  of  that  spiritual  structure  the 
corner-stone  of  which  is  the  heart  of  man. 

"From  that  beginning  this  church  has  had  a  con- 
stant life  of  worship,  teaching,  and  work  in  harmony 
with  those  great  principles  of  truth  that  are  the  es- 
sential things  of  faith  and  duty.  We  inquire  for  no 
man's  private  opinions,  nor  establish  rules  of  believing 
as  standards  of  salvation.  Our  passport  is  a  sense  of 
need  and  a  desire  to  be  partakers  and  helpers  in  that 
worship,  teaching,  and  work  in  which  our  relations 
to  God  and  one  another  are  expressed.  Our  great 
affirmations  are  God,  truth,  and  our  fellow-men.  To 
have  had  a  part  in  founding  this  church  on  these  eter- 
nal things  that  remain  through  all  time  or  opinion,  and 
to  cherish  all  progress  of  thought  in  every  realm  of 
man's  dominion  or  of  God's  inspiration,  is,  indeed, 
reasonable  cause  of  gratitude ;  and  to  be  partaker  and 
helper  of  its  life  and  power  is  a  source  of  present  joy. 

"A  half-century  is  a  considerable  period  of  time, 
reckoned  by  human  days  —  a  brief  hour  in  the  eternal 
years.  But  God  is  ever  near  and  Truth  is  ever  young, 
and  by  working  with  Him  we  have  perpetual  youth, 
and  our  eternal  life  goes  on.  So  we  hail  those  who  have 
lived  on  into  the  nearer  presence  of  God,  and  we  salute 
those  who  are  yet  with  us  whose  memory  goes  swiftly 
back  to  fifty  years  ago,  or  have  later  joined  the  un- 
unbroken  line  of  living  men  as  they  move  in  divine 
procession.  Salute  them  as  they  pass  before  us,  the 
living  generation  that  unites  the  future  of  the  earth 


i4o  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

with  the  future  of  heaven  and  keeps  unbroken  the 
ranks  of  immortals  as  an  unseen  Hand  waves  the 
generations  on  or  off  the  stage !  Now,  finally,  salute 
the  brethren  each  and  all,  named  or  unnamed  —  those 
who  have  wrought  long  and  well  and  bear  rich  sheaves 
from  the  harvest  of  years,  or  those  who  go  forth  in  the 
morning  with  the  song  of  the  reapers.  Salute  John 
Perry,  the  revered  and  honorable,  and  the  host  of 
others  whose  names  cannot  be  written,  besides  noble 
women  without  number,  on  whom  be  honor  and  bless- 
ing evermore." 

In  early  October  he  had  the  great  pleasure  of  revisit- 
ing his  old  parish  at  Portland,  Maine.  It  is  something 
of  a  test  to  go  back  to  a  place  left  thirty-six  years 
before,  but  he  found  a  few  who  cherished  his  memory, 
and  a  multitude  who  as  children  had  either  come  under 
his  influence  or  who  had  heard  of  him  from  their 
fathers.  A  large  congregation  gathered  to  hear  him, 
and  after  the  service  crowded  the  parish  house  for 
nearly  an  hour  to  greet  him,  He  preached  with  great 
vigor  upon  the  possibilities  of  manhood,  thrilling  his 
hearers  and  giving  the  younger  generation  a  better 
understanding  of  those  traditions  of  his  power  under 
which  they  had  grown  up. 

He  was  able  to  assist  Dr.  Charles  G.  Ames  at  the 
funeral  service  of  his  lifelong  friend,  the  Reverend 
Cyrus  A.  Bartol.  About  this  time  he  contributed  an 
article  on  Christmas  and  the  New  Year  to  the  Pacific 
Unitarian,  a  passage  from  which  gives  its  quality : 


QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE     141 

"What  does  the  Son  of  Man  represent?  There  have 
been  a  great  many  attempts  to  define  Christianity, 
from  a  patent-right  scheme  of  salvation  to  some  plan 
of  great  believing  that  should  be  a  divine  contract 
between  God  and  the  soul ;  but  all  our  great  convic- 
tions are  apprehensions  —  not  comprehensions.  Our 
own  being  is  as  great  a  mystery  as  God's  being,  and 
we  are  so  allied  to  Him  by  nature  that  we  are  called  the 
children  of  God.  Christianity  is  the  impersonation  in 
man  and  men  of  this  common  nature.  The  religion  of 
Jesus  is  God  in  humanity ;  or,  as  Theodore  Parker  said, 
'Christianity  is  Humanity'  —  that  is,  human  nature 
at  its  best.  All  attempts  to  define  it  in  dogmatic  form 
will  fail.  Jesus  was  so  human  that  he  could  say,  *  I  and 
my  Father  are  one/  and  Augustine  said  that  Chris- 
tianity is  in  human  nature,  expressed  in  Jesus  as  the 
type  and  ideal  of  humankind." 

On  January  22,  1901,  he  wrote  entertainingly  of 
winter: 

"Winter  begins  when  it  gets  here ;  spring  when  it's  a 
mind  to ;  summer  when  it  can't  help  it ;  and  autumn 
comes  as  wisdom  comes!  We  all  know  how  that  is 
commonly  late !  If  scenery  has  any  effect  on  civilized 
man's  character  or  constitution,  if  climate  changes  the 
quality  of  his  blood,  this  winter  terribleness  and  glory 
must  have  had  something  to  do  with  fashioning  the 
northern  races  of  mankind.  But  winter  is  not  severe 
on  men  or  on  domestic  animals,  if  they  are  well  cared 
for.  Animals  grow  fat,  and  men  and  women  enjoy  the 


r42  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

fine  clear  cold,  if  they  are  well  protected ;  and  there  is 
a  kind  of  happy  pride  in  standing  before  it,  though 
unprotected  none  can  stand.  It  is  this  necessity  for 
protection  and  provision  that  has  a  moral  effect  not 
felt  in  milder  latitudes.  Almost  all  the  birds  and 
smaller  animals  are  driven  out  by  winter,  but  an  ill- 
boding  crow  the  other  day  sat  on  the  branch  of  a 
melancholy  elm  yonder  and  cawed  and  cawed  in  that 
fine  voice  which  the  fox  in  the  fable  praised ;  and  now, 
while  I  write,  a  fine  squirrel,  with  waving  bush  and 
lively  action,  runs  across  the  brilliant  snow,  appar- 
ently happy  as  a  lamb  in  May.  But  somber  wisdom, 
melancholy  grandeur,  terrible  power,  and  brilliant 
glories  are  the  characteristics  of  winter.  Nature  puts 
on  severe  manners,  relieved  by  cheerful  fireside,  do- 
mestic, and  social  joy.  It  is  the  season  for  study,  for 
evening  talk,  and  genial  hospitalities.  The  glory  and 
power  of  it  impressed  the  Psalmist,  who  saw  in  it  that 
sublime  Will  that  looses  the  bands  of  Orion,  or  binds 
the  sweet  influences  of  the  Pleiades." 

In  November  he  wrote  a  charming  letter  to  an 
eight-year-old  San  Francisco  boy. 

"MY  DEAR  BOY  :  Have  you  forgotten  me?  I  think 
of  you  often  and  wish  I  could  see  you,  and  walk  about 
with  you.  There  are  great  elm  trees  here,  and  the 
name  Elmwood  Avenue  is  given  to  the  street.  Right 
over  the  way  is  the  Lowell  house,  where  the  poet  James 
Russell  Lowell  was  born.  Among  these  elms  are  many 


QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE     143 

squirrels !  gray,  with  fine  bushy  tails  and  bright  eyes. 
They  are  quite  tame.  Yesterday  a  fellow  (squirrel,  I 
mean)  came  to  the  door,  and  Mrs.  Stebbins  gave  him 
a  nut,  and  he  ran  with  it  up  a  tree,  and  sat  down  on  his 
hind  legs,  his  tail  curled  over  him  like  a  feather,  and 
his  eyes  sparkling  like  gems ;  and  he  cracked  the  nut 
and  ate  it,  all  the  time  looking  down  cheerfully,  not 
afraid  of  falling.  I  thought  of  the  fable  that  Emerson 
wrote  about  the  Mountain  and  the  Squirrel,  and  I 
said  to  myself  that  /  would  write  to  you  about  it. 
You  know  what  a  fable  is :  a  story  made  up  just  to 
give  a  hint  of  something  true,  that  he  didn't  think  of 
before !  Ask  your  father  to  find  the  fable  (I  think  he'll 
do  it),  and  as  you  read  it,  imagine  the  squirrel  sitting 
on  his  hind  legs  looking  toward  Mount  Diablo  and 
having  a  little  talk.  Learn  the  fable,  not  in  a  hurry, 
but,  say,  three  lines  a  day ;  and  when  you  have  got  it 
so  it  will  go  itself  if  you  open  your  mouth,  write  and 
tell  about  it  —  what  you  think  it  means.  My  love  to 
you  all." 

The  following  month  he  added:  "I  only  want  to 
tell  you  not  to  be  in  a  hurry  about  that  squirrel.  He  is 
here  now.  I  see  him,  his  fine  bush  over  his  back  as  he 
sits  on  his  hind  legs,  looks  every  way,  and  then  jumps ! 
I  hope  you  will  not  have  any  trouble  with  your  eyes. 
I  have  known  boys  and  girls  who  have  been  obliged  to 
wear  glasses  for  a  while,  and  then  have  got  well  soon. 
It  makes  a  young  fellow  look  very  learned  to  wear 
glasses!  You  would  think  of  asking  him  some  great 


f44  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

questions !  Thank  your  father  for  his  fine  letter  to  me. 
My  love  to  all,  especially  to  your  sisters !  They  do  not 
know  me,  but  then,  I  want  them  to  know  that  I  love 
you  all.  I  am  yours,  dear  boy,  HORATIO  STEBBINS." 

In  a  letter  soon  after  New  Year's  Day,  1901,  he 
wrote  at  length,  concluding:  "I  have  called  myself, 
'Yours  affectionately/  or  something  else  as  good  for 
more  than  thirty  years,  and  I  stick  to  it  yet  I" 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  San  Francisco  church 
held  in  February,  a  telegram  was  sent  to  Dr.  Stebbins : 
"Our  gratitude  and  our  regard  increase  as  time  re- 
veals the  measure  of  the  blessings  we  have  enjoyed." 
In  response  he  wrote : 

"  MY  DEAR  MR.  SYMMES  :  The  telegram  in  your 
name,  and  in  the  name  of  the  people  of  the  First  Uni- 
tarian Church,  means  to  me  more  of  gratitude  and  love 
than  I  can  express,  and  I  beg  of  you  all  to  let  me  go 
free  with  a  voiceless  thought  that  overflows  my  heart. 
Indulge  me,  though,  if  you  will,  in  the  expression  of  my 
great  happiness  in  you  all,  in  the  inexhaustible  resource 
I  find  in  my  experience  as  your  minister  and  my 
citizenship  among  you  for  the  lif etime  of  a  generation. 
I  have  enjoyed  a  degree  of  intellectual  and  moral 
independence  limited  only  by  my  ability  to  share  the 
freedom  of  him  whom  the  truth  makes  free.  Your 
genial  minds  have  been  the  climate  most  friendly  to 
my  nature,  and  your  liberal  hearts  have  responded  with 
cheerful  hospitality  to  noblest  sentiments  of  humanity. 


QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE     145 

"Your  word  to  me  spoken  across  the  land  carries 
with  it  a  weight  of  meaning  that  causes  my  heart  to 
quiver  with  emotion,  and  reason  to  find  becoming 
refuge  in  humility.  But  I  will  speak.  If  I  have,  under 
God,  and  by  the  inspiration  of  his  spirit,  illumined 
your  common  mind  and  heart  with  thoughts  that  send 
their  beams  afar,  making  this  world  more  human,  the 
heart  of  man  more  prophetic,  the  human  more  divine 
and  the  divine  more  human  to  our  imagination  and 
affection,  then  indeed  have  I  cause  for  the  deepest 
gratitude  and  the  happiest  joy.  The  greatest  blessing 
that  man  can  receive  is  a  thought,  an  imagination,  a 
conviction  concerning  his  own  nature  and  his  relation 
to  God ;  that  gives  courage  to  faith,  and  transforms 
the  world  to  a  scene  of  discipline  and  teaching  for 
moral  and  spiritual  beings  in  the  likeness  of  God.  In 
this  great  faith  may  we  all  be  living,  above  the  limi- 
tations or  contradictions  of  provincial  thought.  In 
the  name  of  God  our  Father  and  in  the  name  of  our 
common  human  heart,  I  salute  you  all,  and  may 
blessing,  honor,  truth,  and  love  be  upon  you  and  abide 
with  you  evermore." 

In  March  Dr.  Stebbins  was  seriously  ill  with  pneu- 
monia, but  his  good  constitution  withstood  the  attack, 
and  he  was  soon  preaching  now  and  then.  In  July  he 
preached  in  Dorchester,  and  he  very  much  enjoyed 
visiting,  in  company  with  his  son  Horatio,  the  scenes  of 
his  early  youth,  near  Springfield.  No  member  of  the 


146  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

family  now  lives  at  the  old  homestead,  but  it  was  a 
satisfaction  to  take  luncheon  in  the  house  in  which  he 
was  born,  and  to  show  his  son  the  fields  where  he 
ploughed  and  mowed  as  a  boy. 

In  September  he  was  asked  to  take  a  prominent  part 
at  the  Saratoga  Conference,  but  felt  that  his  health 
was  too  precarious  to  justify  it. 

On  October  2  his  son  Roderick  was  married  to  Edith 
Endicott  Marean,  in  Appleton  Chapel  of  Harvard 
College,  Cambridge.  Dr.  Stebbins  shared  the  wedding 
service  with  Dr.  Samuel  M.  Cr others,  and  the  dignity 
of  his  manner,  as  he  uttered  his  few  words  of  affection- 
ate recognition  and  counsel,  made  the  ceremony  one 
never  to  be  forgotten  by  even  the  least  interested  of 
the  many  who  heard  them.  He  was  in  bright  spirits 
at  the  reception  which  followed  and  made  it  evident 
that  he  was  especially  happy  in  this  marriage. 

On  February  22,  1902,  he  wrote  a  kindly  letter,  one 
sentence  of  which  showed  his  lessening  strength:  "I 
have  been  bottled  up  for  a  week  with  something,  and 
may  not  be  out  for  another  week.  I  do  not  go  out  much, 
and  then  not  alone.  I  notice  the  dropped  stitches." 
He  regretfully  informed  me  of  the  fact  that  Dr.  Charles 
W.  Eliot  had  been  obliged  to  give  up  his  promised 
visit  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  suggested  a  "disappoint- 
ment addendum"  to  an  announcement  which  he  had 
sent  —  his  last  article.  The  letter  concludes : 

"  I  cannot  write  more  now.    Yours  ever 

"  HORATIO  STEBBINS  " 


QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE     147 

These  were  the  last  words  penned  by  that  loving 
hand.  He  had  been  weary  all  day  and  was  taken  sud- 
denly down  that  night.  The  attack  was  much  like 
that  of  two  years  before,  and  was  followed  by  alter- 
nating periods  of  improvement  and  relapse.  His 
friend,  the  Reverend  A.  W.  Jackson,  was  in  Cambridge 
on  March  19  and  called  to  inquire  for  him.  Hearing 
that  he  was  in  the  house,  Dr.  Stebbins  expressed  a  wish 
to  see  him,  and  Mr.  Jackson  went  to  his  room.  "To 
my  great  surprise  and  delight,"  he  wrote,  "I  found 
him  sitting  up  and  dressed.  He  was  apparently  weak, 
but  his  eye  was  dear,  his  countenance  did  not  look 
wan,  he  was  apparently  free  from  pain,  and  the  old 
smile  was  there.  His  conversation  was  in  his  noblest 
vein  —  of  books  and  thoughts  and  friends/1 

Among  the  many  San  Francisco  friends  to  whom  Dr. 
Stebbins  was  warmly  attached  was  Kate  Douglas 
Wiggin  Riggs,  whom  he  befriended  and  helped  when 
she  came  to  San  Francisco  from  Santa  Barbara,  a 
talented  and  ambitious  kindergartner,  with  her  mother 
and  her  sister,  Miss  Nora  Smith.  They  were  frequent 
and  welcome  guests  at  the  family  table,  and  were  very 
near  through  all  the  changing  years.  On  March  31, 
he  dictated  through  his  wife  this  tribute  of  his  undy- 
ing love : 

"DEAR  KATE,  What  you  say  transcends  all  my 
powers  of  expression,  but  if  I  should  let  go  I  don't 
know  where  I  should  begin  or  end.  You  have  always 


i48  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

been  among  my  great  admirations,  and  my  intellectual 
and  moral  delights.  That  I  have  had  any  influence 
or  standing  with  you  has  increased  my  self-respect, 
tempered  by  gratitude  and  humility.  What  can  I  say 
but  repeat  what  you  know  already  —  my  great  affec- 
tion for  you  all,  your  husband,  your  mother,  Nora, 
the  ever-beloved  and  honored,  whom  to  know  is  pride 
enough  for  a  lifetime,  and  gratitude  to  fill  the  heart 
with  joy." 

Shortly  before  the  final  attack  and  death  of  Dr. 
Stebbins  the  eightieth  birthday  of  Edward  Everett 
Hale  was  royally  celebrated  in  Boston  and  elsewhere. 
Dr.  Stebbins  was  too  ill  to  attend.  He  said  several 
times,  "If  I  were  going  to  speak,  there  is  one  thing  I 
should  say."  Finally,  he  took  pencil  and  paper,  and 
wrote  the  following  words,  the  last  which  were  written 
by  his  own  hand: 

"The  time  will  come  when  men  will  ask,  Who  was 
he  ?  His  religion  was  that  universal  principle  of  human 
nature  that  includes  mankind.  It  is  that  great  prin- 
ciple which,  carried  into  the  world  of  thought,  compels 
all  men,  when  brought  face  to  face  with  it,  to  confess 
that  neither  station  nor  wealth,  nor  conspicuous 
popularity,  is  the  final  test  of  greatness,  but  that 
mysterious  quality  that  we  recognize  as  character, 
diffused  through  all  the  activities  of  the  mind,  uniting 
the  manly  and  the  godly  in  one.  Let  those  who  will 
undertake  to  define  it,  they  will  fail.  It  has  many  ele- 


QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE     149 

ments  in  combination  that  defy  all  chemistry,  reveal- 
ing God  in  man.  It  is  flesh  and  blood,  and  bone  and 
marrow,  and  nerve  and  brain,  suffused  with  feeling, 
free  will,  moral  force,  imagination,  and  love." 

This  indicates  how  fully  and  firmly  he  maintained 
to  the  last  his  intellectual  and  spiritual  faculties. 

On  March  22  he  dictated  a  long  letter  full  of  gen- 
erous affection,  and  in  good  courage.  He  said :  "Your 
desire  to  see  me,  ardently  expressed,  is  sincerely  felt 
and  reciprocated.  Time  and  events  only  can  de- 
cide." He  concludes  with :  "I  am  living  on  reduced 
strength  which  I  use  with  economy  in  the  enjoyment 
of  many  blessings,  and  in  gratitude  for  all  good  like 
yours.  In  all  this  Mrs.  Stebbins  and  myself  are  ever 
united  and  we  give  you  and  Winifred  our  abounding 
love." 

A  few  days  later  he  became  notably  weaker,  and 
suffered  almost  unendurable  pain  for  two  weeks,  so 
that  he  prayed  for  release.  He  was  calm  and  collected 
when  free  from  agonizing  pain,  and  on  April  4  he 
dictated  a  dispatch  to  San  Francisco :  "Salute  all  the 
people,  and  give  them  my  blessing.  Let  them  have  a 
service  of  praise  and  prayer  in  the  church,  Sunday 
morning,  April  13."  On  the  8th  he  breathed  his  last. 
A  noble  life  had  ended;  a  great  heart  was  at  rest. 
The  private  funeral  on  Friday  morning,  April  n,  1902, 
was  conducted  by  Dr.  Samuel  M.  Crothers.  The 
burial  the  following  day  was  at  Portland,  Maine. 


150  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

Several  years  before  Dr.  Stebbins  had  prepared  with 
calm  consideration  a  memorandum  of  the  order  he 
would  like  to  have  followed  at  his  funeral  service. 
A  few  weeks  before  the  end  he  asked  his  son  Roderick 
to  send  it  to  San  Francisco,  as  expressing  his  wishes. 
In  form  and  substance  it  is  so  characteristic  that  it  is 
given.  He  especially  asked  that  all  eulogy  and  remarks 
be  omitted  and  his  wishes  were  reverently  respected. 
The  service  was  tenderly  beautiful  and  impressive. 
Loving  hands  had  appropriately  decorated  the  church 
with  flowers;  friends  from  far  and  near  gathered  to 
express  their  devotion;  Mr.  Leavitt's  sermon  was 
singularly  fit,  inferentially  applicable  to  the  noble  life. 
The  singing  of  his  favorite  hymns  was  sympathetic, 
and  the  atmosphere  throughout  breathed  the  deepest 
affection  and  reverence. 

Dr.  Stebbins's  Memorandum  follows:  "I  suggest 
this  order  of  service  at  my  funeral,  if  it  be  well- 
pleasing  and  will  relieve  friends  of  care : " 

1.  Organ. 

2.  "Lead,  Kindly  Light"  — Solo. 

3.  Prayer  by  Minister  and  People:  "Blessed  is  the  Lord 
God  of  Ages,  who  never  ceaseth  to  draw  more  nigh." 

4.  Bible  Reading:  John's  Gospel,  20:  1-17. 

5.  Prayer  by  Minister  and  People :  "Lo !  at  length  the  True 
Light." 

6.  The  Lord's  Prayer,  by  Minister. 

7.  Hymn  136.    "Great  God,  how  Infinite  art  Thou":  by 
the  Congregation. 

8.  Last  words  by  Minister,  the  People  all  standing:  "I 
heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying  unto  me,  Write: 


QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE     151 

From  henceforth  blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the 
Lord ;  even  so  saith  the  spirit,  for  they  rest  from  their 
labors  and  their  works  do  follow  them :  —  The  Grace  of 
Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  love  of  God,  and  the 
fellowship  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  be  with  us  all  evermore. 
Amen." 

At  the  concurrent  hour  a  memorial  service  was  held 
in  the  Cambridge  church,  under  the  direction  of  Dr. 
Crothers.  Dr.  Hale  offered  the  prayer;  the  Reverend 
Francis  Tiffany  spoke  of  Dr.  Stebbins's  early  life,  and 
of  the  impressions  that  his  high  ideals  had  made  on 
his  fellow-students.  From  his  father  he  inherited  his 
strength  of  character  and  rugged  independence ;  and 
from  his  mother,  who  was  a  woman  of  deep  religious 
feeling  and  poetic  nature,  came  his  tender  sympathy. 
Directness  of  speech,  distinction  of  manner,  and  power 
of  original  statement  distinguished  Him  through  his 
entire  career. 

President  Charles  W.  Eliot  referred  to  his  great 
service  to  the  State,  saying  that  he  had  done  more 
than  could  be  estimated  to  give  the  California  Uni- 
versities the  place  they  occupy  among  the  educational 
institutions  of  the  land  and  to  shape  their  present 
standards.  As  a  result  of  his  presence  it  is  everywhere 
understood  that  these  universities  are  built  on  free- 
dom of  thought.  He  referred  to  Dr.  Stebbins's  ability 
to  stand  alone  as  a  leader  of  men,  independent  and 
strong ;  and  his  finest  tribute  was  in  citing  as  proof  of 
immortality  Dr.  Stebbins's  noble  life.  He  said:  "In 
the  presence  of  a  growing  and  expanding  soul  like  that 


152  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

of  Dr.  Stebbins,  men  feel  that  there  is  something  in 
man  independent  of  the  body,  not  born  to  die." 

Dr.  George  Batchelor  gratefully  recalled  the  char- 
acter of  his  influence.  He  applied  to  him  the  words 
of  Paul:  "For  God  hath  not  given  us  the  spirit  of 
fear,  but  of  power  and  of  love  and  of  a  sound  mind." 
His  fearless  spirit,  his  power  of  leadership,  his  loving 
sympathy  with  the  young,  and  his  comforting  courage 
with  the  thought  of  old  age  were  all  included  in  a 
"sound  mind." 

Dr.  James  De  Normandie  spoke  of  his  work  in 
Portland,  and  then  added :  "When  Dr.  Stebbins  suc- 
ceeded Starr  King  in  California,  he  did  as  much  for 
that  State,  but  in  other  ways,  as  did  the  golden-lipped 
preacher  who  saved  it  to  the  Union.  It  does  not  often 
fall  to  the  lot  of  any  man  to  have  such  opportunity 
given,  for  a  man  to  have  the  gifts  to  lay  a  whole  land 
under  obligation  for  his  noble  work.  There  was  in 
Dr.  Stebbins  a  rare  union  of  power  and  pathos,  of 
strength  and  sweetness,  of  fierce  denunciation  of  the 
wrong-doer  and  tender  sympathy  for  every  burdened 
or  penitent  one,  of  the  prophet's  vision  and  the 
prophet's  faith  in  the  day  of  triumphant  good.  Added 
to  these  qualities,  the  secret  of  that  remarkable  min- 
istry, reaching  to  eighty  years,  was  its  transparent 
reality.  Here  was  no  sensationalism,  no  artificiality, 
no  theatrical  posing,  only  entire  compliance  in  a  few 
spiritual  verities.  By  these  he  lived  and  wrought,  and 
in  their  peace  he  calmly  passed  on." 


QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE     153 

The  benediction  was  pronounced  by  his  lifelong 
friend,  Dr.  Edward  Everett  Hale. 

On  April  22,  the  Unitarian  Club  of  California  paid 
tribute  of  its  great  respect  and  gratitude  by  the 
adoption  of  fervent  resolutions,  and  on  April  23  a 
memorial  service  was  held  by  the  Pacific  Coast  Con- 
ference, in  session  at  San  Francisco. 

The  press,  east  and  west,  was  generous  and  deeply 
appreciative.  A  single  sentence  from  the  Christian 
Register  editorial  is  taken  as  representative  of  all: 

"He  was  a  tower  of  strength,  a  steadfast  promoter 
of  large  ideas,  moral  ideals  and  the  old-fashioned 
virtues  which  were  by  inheritance  and  tradition  his 
own.  He  was  stalwart  in  person,  of  strong  mind,  firm 
will,  unshaken  integrity,  and  unspotted  life.  At  his 
best,  his  preaching  was  in  the  higher  ranges  of  the 
religious  life.  He  suggested  the  moral  grandeur  of  the 
universe  in  which  we  live,  and  the  dignity  of  human 
nature  and  human  duty.1' 

In  addition,  many  friends  and  admirers  sent  words 
of  affection  or  reminiscence.  From  these,  that  of  the 
Reverend  John  White  Chadwick  is  given  in  part,  as 
it  reveals  personality  in  a  manner  no  one  else  has 
approached.  He  writes : 

"We  shall  all  agree,  I  think,  that  the  peculiar  power 
which  Dr.  Stebbins  exerted  was  that  of  a  grand  and 
unique  personality ;  and  personality  is  always  hard  to 


154  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

analyze.  The  whole  is  greater  than  the  sum  of  all  the 
parts.  There  was  the  towering  form, — 

'the  front  of  Jove  himself ; 
An  eye  like  Mars,  to  threaten  and  command ; 
A  combination,  and  a  form,  indeed, 
Where  every  god  did  seem  to  set  his  seal, 
To  give  the  world  assurance  of  a  man/ 

There  was  that  marvelous  voice ;  the  'music  of  mild 
lutes '  was  in  it,  and  anon  it  was  a  'clarion  of  disdain ' ; 
but  these  were  but  instruments.  Behind  them  was 
the  informing  soul ;  and  that  streamed  into  everything 
he  said  and  did,  and  made  the  ungirt  spontaneity  of 
his  private  life  of  one  piece  with  his  most  carefully 
considered  public  speech.  He  was  a  master  of  expres- 
sion, and  struck  out  phrases  of  unique  and  startling 
beauty,  which  reminded  you  not  of  books,  but  of  the 
living  world.  They  smacked  of  the  soil  in  which  he 
grew.  They  were  ruddy  with  the  hue  of  his  immediate 
experience.  He  was  no  phrase-maker  except  as  his 
large  thoughts  demanded  adequate  expression.  His 
humanity  was  his  central  trait.  I  never  knew  a  man 
who  could  more  vitally  appropriate  the  Latin  poet's 
boast  Nothing  human  was  foreign  to  him,  least  of  all 
the  passions  which  devastate  our  human  life.  I  have 
heard  him  talk  of  these  with  a  kind  of  sacred  fury  in 
his  speech ;  and  he  was  as  pitiful  as  Jesus  of  the  sinful 
folk.  Yet  he  was  not  more  human  in  his  awful  sense 
of  life's  tragic  implications  than  in  his  delight  of 
everything  that  was  compact  of  human  pleasantness 


QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE     155 

and  kindliness,  and  I  cannot  easily  conceive  a  kinder 
spirit  than  his  own.  He  was  a  great  citizen.  I  could 
not  walk  the  streets  of  San  Francisco  by  his  side  with- 
out being  touched  by  the  reverence  and  affection  in 
which  he  was  held  by  the  people  of  that  city.  But  I 
shall  best  remember  him  saying  the  morning  grace  at 
his  own  table,  the  words  were  so  simple  and  so  strong, 
and  pervaded  with  such  a  tender  sense  of  the  perfect 
mutual  understanding  of  heavenly  Father  and  the 
man  who  prayed." 

Mr.  Chadwick  also  wrote  for  the  memorial  this 
beautiful  sonnet: 

TO  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

On  the  same  day,  thine  by  the  Western  sea, 
Mine  where  the  Eastern  rolls  its  music  in, 
Our  work  began,  the  continent  between 
Our  sundered  ways.    Thwart  that  immensity, 
When  doubt  and  fear  had  well-nigh  mastered  me, 
How  has  thy  cheery  message  been 
A  trumpet  calling  me  to  rise  and  win 
O'er  foes  abject  triumphant  victory  I 

The  Eastern  and  the  Western  ocean  make 
One  music.  Even  so  thy  heart  and  mine 
Have  beat  accordant.  Silent  now  is  thine ; 
Yet  still  from  thy  great  spirit  I  will  take 
Fresh  courage  daily,  conquer  by  thy  sign, 
Be  something  braver,  better  for  thy  sake. 

Dr.  A.  W.  Jackson,  who  formerly  lived  in  Santa 
Barbara,  California,  later  in  Concord,  Massachusetts, 
wrote: 


156  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

"In  my  long  acquaintance  with  him,  I  was  always 
peculiarly  sensible  of  his  moral  elevation.  This  was 
not  on  occasions  only,  when  strong  impulses  might 
move  him,  but  in  the  unrestraint  of  private  affection, 
as  in  the  pulpit  or  on  the  platform,  there  it  was,  a 
grace  that  never  forsook  him.  In  his  fiercest  wrath, 
he  never  lost  his  poise ;  in  his  keenest  sorrow,  he  wit- 
nessed to  those  about  him  that  a  suffering  may  be 
an  unshaken  soul.  He  could  err  in  judgment,  err  in 
action,  as  all  may  do ;  but  even  in  error  men  felt  him 
noble.  He  may  not  have  belonged  to  the  order  of 
saints,  but  surely  to  that  of  heroes.  His  mien  was 
patrician,  but  his  manhood  was  imperial. 

"Another  feature  was  what  I  will  dare  to  call  a 
genius  for  friendship.  A  man  so  positive  in  his  con- 
victions, dealing  with  so  many  interests  and  'ever  a 
fighter/  is  reasonably  sure  to  provoke  resentments; 
and  Dr.  Stebbins  did  so.  At  the  same  time  he  at- 
tracted people  to  him  as  few  ever  can,  and  held  them 
in  an  allegiance  that  is  much  too  rare.  In  that  far 
Western  city  he  was  surrounded  by  a  cordon  of  friends 
that  neither  personal  malice  nor  partisan  antipathy 
could  break  through,  men  and  women  whom  even 
error  could  hardly  have  alienated  and  whom  trial 
made  more  steadfast.  The  explanation  is  easy  enough ; 
it  was  a  case  of  a  large  nature  attracting  other 
natures,  and  holding  them  steadfast  by  its  own 
fidelity." 

A  sonnet,  written  by  Mr.  Jackson  at  the  time  he  was 


QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE     157 

preparing  his  Life  of  Martineau,  associated  lovingly 
the  two  leaders,  and  should  find  place  here: 

TO  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

Dear  Friend,  whose  noble  presence  fails  to  show 
The  regal  grandeur  of  thy  inner  plan,— 
Patrician  mien,  but  an  imperial  man, 
I  link  thy  name  with  that  of  Martineau. 
He  sage,  thou  prophet !  His  the  orient  glow 
Of  one  who  all  surveys  from  peaks  of  Darien, 
Thine  to  call  beck  dead  souls  to  life  again : 
Isaiah's  flame,  the  tones  of  Cicero. 

He  is  the  Phosphor  of  the  coming  day ; 

Awakener  thou  of  those  who  dwell  in  night. 

Through  him  men  see  the  height,  through  thee  adore ; 

And  they  who  write  your  epitaphs  should  say 

Of  him, "  He  touched  the  mountain  crests  with  light." 

Of  thee,  "He  thrilling  witness  to  its  glory  bore." 

These  words  of  loving  appreciation  are  but  few  of 
the  many  that  were  written.  Wherever  Dr.  Stebbins 
was  known,  he  was  beloved,  and  the  extent  of  reverent 
regard  for  him  testifies  to  the  breadth  and  depth  of  his 
humanity. 

Horatio  Stebbins  was  a  type  of  America's  best  and 
most  characteristic  manhood.  He  was  essentially  a 
preacher,  set  apart  by  fitness  and  divine  desire  to  be  a 
teacher  and  inspirer  of  his  fellow-men.  He  was  utterly 
fearless  in  following  where  truth  seemed  to  lead.  He 
often  saw  many  sides  where  over-zealous  little  souls 
saw  but  one,  and  was  patient  by  reason  of  profound 
faith.  He  was  not  of  the  class  of  ardent  reformers  who 


158  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

prescribe  small  remedies  for  great  difficulties.  Nothing 
disturbed  his  sublime  faith ;  nothing  that  contradicted 
the  goodness,  wisdom,  and  love  of  God  could  enter  his 
mind  or  heart  He  believed  in  the  realities  of  moral 
and  spiritual  being.  He  never  allowed  amiable  com- 
monplaces to  confuse  his  meaning,  and  never  shirked 
an  issue  when  it  could  not  honorably  be  avoided. 
Thousands  can  testify  to  his  generosity  of  spirit  and 
his  ever  ready  helpfulness.  No  service  or  kindness  was 
too  great  for  him  to  render  to  others.  His  manner 
sometimes  deceived  those  who  did  not  know  him  well, 
but  he  proved  his  love  for  his  fellow-men  by  constant 
service  and  sacrifice. 

Through  his  firm  faith  hi  spiritual  verities,  his  keen 
insight,  and  his  firmly  logical  mind  Dr.  Stebbins  was  a 
seer.  His  fine  imagination,  his  delicate  sensibility,  and 
his  originality  of  expression  constituted  him  a  poet. 
As  a  speaker  he  was  eloquent  in  the  highest  sense. 
Rarely  has  such  profound  and  virile  thought  been  so 
beautifully  expressed.  His  prose  style  was  admirable, 
and  through  its  poetic  imagery  and  aptness  of  illus- 
tration was  often  more  akin  to  poetry  than  much  writ- 
ing accorded  that  classification  by  reason  of  metrical 
form. 

His  burial  spot  at  Portland  is  marked  by  a  granite 
boulder  from  a  New  England  pasture,  simply  inscribed. 
It  is  a  fitting  symbol  of  the  simplicity  and  integrity 
of  his  life  and  character.  Its  solidity  and  individ- 
uality are  akin  to  his.  It  owes  its  strength  and 


QUIET  YEARS  IN  CAMBRIDGE     159 

symmetry  to  its  power  of  resistance  to  disintegrating 
forces.  His  character  was  as  firm  as  granite.  Time 
and  events  had  softened  the  outline,  but  had  not 
changed  the  substance.  He  served  God  with  all  the 
consecration  of  his  Pilgrim  ancestors.  He  had  the 
daring  faith  of  Job,  and  powerfully  set  forth  the  reality, 
the  all-embracing  power  and  love,  of  God.  His  un- 
questioning trust,  and  his  passion  for  truth ;  his  scorn 
for  the  ignoble  and  reliance  on  right,  his  serenity  and 
his  reverence  made  him  a  constant  influence  for  good. 
Great  as  was  his  power  as  a  preacher  and  a  minister 
to  his  fellow-men,  he  transcended  all  his  manifesta- 
tions and  was  greater  as  a  man. 

The  sun  still  shines,  and  happy,  blithesome  birds 
Are  singing  on  the  swaying  boughs  in  bloom. 
My  eyes  look  forth  and  see  no  sign  of  gloom, 
No  loss  casts  shadow  on  the  grazing  herds ; 
And  yet  I  know  a  grief  that  feeble  words 
Can  ne'er  express,  for  in  the  silent  tomb 
Is  laid  the  body  of  my  friend,  the  doom 
Of  silence  on  that  matchless  voice.  Now  girds 
My  spirit  for  the  struggle  he  would  praise, 
A  leader  viewless  to  the  mortal  eye 
Still  guides  my  steps,  still  calls  with  clarion  cry 
To  deeds  of  honor,  and  my  thoughts  would  raist 
To  seek  the  truth  and  share  the  love  on  high, 
With  loyal  heart  I'll  follow  all  my  days. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
LETTERS  TO  A  SON 

1881-1899 

THE  intimate  companionship  with  his  father,  in  which 
Roderick  Stebbins  had  grown  up,  made  his  departure 
for  Harvard  College  a  serious  event  to  both.  On  the 
day  he  left  home,  Dr.  Stebbins  began  a  journal,  to 
afford  in  some  degree  a  needed  channel  for  self- 
expression.  It  was  not  long  continued,  however, 
merging  naturally  into  daily  letters  to  his  boy,  who 
was  in  turn  hardly  less  faithful.  The  close  relation 
between  the  two  was  kept  up  for  many  years  by  these 
almost  daily  letters.  The  pages  of  the  brief  journal, 
which  includes  not  more  than  a  score  of  large  fools- 
cap pages,  reveal  a  side  of  Dr.  Stebbins's  character 
which  many  never  discovered  —  the  deep  humility  of 
the  man,  his  self-questionings  and  his  utter  surrender 
to  the  eternal  strength  and  love  which  were  the  heart 
of  his  religion. 

August  25,  1877.  Roderick  left  this  morning  for 
Cambridge.  The  parting  with  him  is  very  severe  and 
has  subjected  my  tired  heart  to  a  new  strain.  It  has 
been  a  rough  day,  indeed,  and  tempests  are  within. 
I  am  truly  grateful  that  he  does  not  suffer  as  I  do.  I 
learn  daily  something  new  of  the  power  of  suffering. 
I  have  written  almost  a  sermon  to-day.  Nothing  but 


BETTERS  TO  A  SON  161 

work  would  have  kept  me  from  the  deepest  distress, 

and  as  it  is  I  have  broken  down  once  utterly But 

I  am  strong  now,  and  clear,  calm  light  rests  on  all  my 
summits. 

September  2.  This  is  Roderick's  birthday !  Eighteen 
happy  years !  His  heart  has  beat  within  mine,  and  it 
has  not  been  easy  to  tell  whether  it  was  mine  or  his 
that  had  the  deepest  throb. 

[Dr.  Stebbins  seldom  stopped  long  enough  in  his 
thought  for  his  daily  work  to  consider  himself,  but  one 
single  entry  that  follows  may  indicate  how  little  he 
realized  what  he  gave  to  others.  Only  by  genuine 
understanding  of  the  man  can  one  know  how  truly  his 
calm  serenity  implied  not  indifference  nor  insensibil- 
ity, but  conquest.] 

November  5.  It  was  twenty-six  years  ago  to-day  that 
I  was  ordained  at  Fitchburg.  O  swift  years !  and  how 
deep  is  my  disappointment  in  myself !  I  am  not  what 
I  ought  to  be  and  what  I  might  have  been,  either  in 
my  attainments  and  power  to  set  forth  moral  and 
spiritual  truth,  or  in  the  elevation  and  resource  of  my 
character How  little  I  know,  and  how  weak  I  am ! 

[Two  years  later  Dr.  Stebbins  took  up  his  discarded 
journal,  with  a  word  of  half-regret  that  he  had  let 
his  "daily  talk"  with  Roderick  supersede  entirely  the 
independent  value  of  memoranda  "that  catch  the 
light  and  shade  of  life  and  thought  as  they  fly."] 

September  6,  1879.  Roderick  left  this  morning  to 
return  to  Cambridge.  Although  I  parted  with  him  in 


1 62  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

complete  self-control,  it  yet  cost  me  a  sharp  pain,  and 
after  he  had  gone  I  went  into  his  room,  looked  in  the 
vacant  places,  and  buried  my  face  in  my  hands  and 
wept.  I  find  it  no  easier  to  part  with  him  than  a  year 
ago.  I  am  most  happy  and  blessed  in  him.  I  must  not 
let  my  love  interfere  with  him,  or  stand  in  the  way 
of  his  own  individuality.  Neither  must  I  allow  my 
affection  to  intrude  upon  him.  His  mind  must  be 
respected  and  my  love  must  be  wise  and  high,  not  too 
familiar,  and  certainly  not  meddlesome. 

September  7.  How  this  strange  sense  of  Roderick's 
absence  oppresses  me !  It  has  almost  overcome  me  two 
or  three  times  to-day.  When  he  left  me  on  the  25th 
of  August  two  years  ago,  I  thought  that  would  be  my 
severest  trial ;  but  hard  as  it  was,  this  is  hardly  less  so. 

[The  preceding  extracts  have  been  given  because  no 
other  available  material  reveals  so  clearly  the  tender- 
ness and  strength  of  affection  that  controlled  Dr. 
Stebbins  in  his  family  and  home  relations.  Let  the 
first  selection  from  his  letters  be  one  written  on  an 
anniversary  of  his  father's  birth.  He  held  his  father's 
memory  in  loving  reverence  and  often  spoke  of  him.] 

March  5,  1881 

This  is  the  anniversary  of  my  father's  birthday.  He 
died  in  January,  1859,  aged  eighty-one  years.  He  was 
a  man  of  limited  experience,  but  of  uncommon  endow- 
ment ;  a  polemic  in  politics,  religion,  and  morals.  His 


LETTERS  TO  A  SON  163 

life  was  spent  near  the  place  where  he  was  born,  and 
he  rarely  went  beyond  the  notch  in  the  hills  on  the 
east,  or  the  level  plains  on  the  west,  where  the  setting 
sun  measured  his  earthly  days.  He  was  a  man  of  native 
dignity  of  mind  and  feeling,  and  everything  low  or 
vulgar  shrank  away  abashed  from  his  presence.  He 
had  more  books  than  all  the  families  in  District  No.  10. 
Among  the  first  books  I  ever  saw  were  Miss  Maria 
Edgeworth's  "Evenings  at  Home,"  which  he  read 
aloud  to  us  as  we  sat  round  the  evening  fire.  He 
was  esteemed  the  wise  and  long-headed  man  by  his 
neighbors,  and  was  respected  and  beloved.  He  was 
singularly  happy  with  children,  though  he  did  not 
fully  sympathize  with  youth  owing  to  his  temperament 
and  constitution.  I  can  never  forget  the  singular 
tenderness  of  his  voice,  the  sweetness  of  his  manners, 
or  the  calmness  of  his  authority.  My  mother  died 
when  I  was  six  years  old.  The  influence  of  that  event 
on  my  father's  mind  made  strong  impression  on  me. 
I  was  too  young  to  feel  the  force  of  what  had  happened, 
but  his  great  grief,  restrained  and  borne  with  that 
calmness  that  nothing  but  depth  can  give,  impressed 
me  in  a  manner  that  I  can  never  fully  describe,  and 
has  left  its  stamp  upon  my  own  character.  Often  in 
my  mature  years  have  the  lessons  which  he  taught 
me  sprung  up  like  fountains  to  refresh  me.  My  love 
for  him  was  very  great,  as  was  the  love  of  all  his  sons, 

I  have  been  sitting  here  having  Mr.  Congdon  tell 


1 64  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

.* 

about  remarkable  horses  that  he  has  known !  A  little 
queer  one-sided  knowledge  is  pleasant  sometimes.  I 
like  to  get  hold  of  a  man  who  will  tell  me  some  odd 
thing  away  from  my  habits  and  tastes,  though  I  have 
a  taste  for  horses.  He  wants  me  to  go  out  to  the  track 
and  see  a  span  there;  $25,00x5!  what  extravagance 
and  nonsense,  when  there  are  probably  a  thousand 
children  in  the  city  not  as  well  fed  or  clothed  1 

When  I  was  a  youth,  I  worked  in  the  open  field :  I 
often  felt  that  it  was  hard,  and  I  longed  to  be  free ; 
but  when  I  began  to  study,  I  found  that  hard,  and  it 
seemed  to  me  that  to  work  with  my  muscles  or  the 
bare  earth  would  be  a  rest!  A  noble  self -direction 
always  requires  firmness,  and  often  it  requires  forti- 
tude. It  requires  more  energy  to  lead  a  true  student 
life,  than  it  does  to  pile  up  stones  in  the  field,  or  to 
weed  corn  in  the  heat  of  the  sun.  You  have  not  been 
situated  as  I  was,  but  I  hope  you  will  get  as  much 
discipline  of  will  and  purpose  in  academic  life  as  I  got 
in  rustic  labors.  Concentration  is  the  soul  of  discipline. 

I  have  just  heard  of  the  death  of  Dr.  Putnam,  of 
Roxbury.  The  event  calls  to  mind  some  incidents  in 
my  early  experience.  I  knew  him  when  I  first  entered 
on  my  professional  life.  He  used  to  go  to  Sterling,  his 
native  town,  and  to  the  old  family  homestead  to  spend 
his  vacations.  When  I  first  went  to  Fitchburg  I  rode 
over  to  Sterling,  a  dozen  miles,  to  see  him.  I  formed  a 


LETTERS  TO  A  SON  165 

great  liking  for  him.  He  was  a  man  of  stalwart  good 
sense  and  roundabout  wisdom.  He  was  a  fine  preacher 
to  eminently  respectable  people.  He  was  an  immense 
reader  of  current  literature,  and  his  sermons  were 
suggested  by  the  illustration  of  lif  e  and  experience  that 
he  found  in  his  reading.  His  style  was  simple,  pure, 
and  strong;  and  his  manners  in  the  pulpit  were  a 
happy  combination  of  reverence,  manliness,  and  en- 
thusiasm. 

About  Bismarck's  policy  with  socialism,  I  did  not 
write,  because  it  would  lead  into  discussions  that  I 
could  hardly  state  in  a  manner  fit  for  a  theme.  The 
gist  of  it  is  this :  There  is  in  Germany  a  keen  popular 
discontent  concerning  the  present  social  conditions 
of  men,  based  on  wealth,  rank,  labor,  capital,  etc. 
The  discussions  call  in  question  the  present  order  of 
things,  and  threaten  to  remodel  society.  Bismarck's 
policy  is  in  the  suppression  of  debate  in  the  Reichstag, 
and  the  suppression  of  the  press.  He  proposes  to 
throttle  free  discussion,  and  thus  shut  the  safety- 
valve  of  popular  discontent.  That  policy  is  fatal  in  the 
long  run,  and  will  make  him  the  hero  of  a  great  folly, 
and  maybe  a  great  disaster.  Errors  of  thought  and 
intellect  are  not  to  be  corrected  by  putting  bits  in  the 
mouths  of  men.  Bismarck  is  verging,  so  it  seems  to  me, 
toward  that  intoxication  of  self-will,  in  which  every- 
thing and  anything  seems  possible,  because  they  are 
desired;  when  force  is  greater  than  insight,  and 


1 66  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

courage  greater  than  far-sightedness,  and  will  be  more 
conspicuous  than  sympathy  with  the  day  and  hour. 
His  great  services  may  yet  be  balanced  by  a  stupen- 
dous folly. 

I  met to-day,  and  he  told  me  he  had  noth- 
ing to  do.  I  am  sorry  for  it.  It  is  a  trial  to  any  man, 
and  it  is  stupid  and  exasperating  to  a  bright  and  ac- 
tive fellow  like  him.  If  ever  you  have  felt  that  work 
is  painful,  and  duty  irksome,  think  of  the  utter  misery 
of  doing  nothing,  and  having  nothing  to  do.  I  have 
been  much  blessed  in  all  my  life.  I  have  never  been 
stranded  oh  the  shore  of  involuntary  idleness,  but  have 
always  found  a  place  of  usefulness,  where  I  could  earn 
my  bread  by  giving  in  work  for  value  received. 

I  am  thinking  that  you  may  be  in  Northboro  to- 
night. Your  description  of  ice-scenery  calls  to  mind 
the  most  remarkable  display  of  that  kind  I  ever  saw. 
It  was  in  February,  1845.  Nothing  could  surpass  the 
brilliancy  of  the  scene,  under  the  illumination  of  the 
moon.  The  world  seemed  hung  in  pearls  and  diamonds, 
and  every  tree  was  transformed  with  light !  A  grove 
was  more  beautiful  than  the  night-heavens,  and 
seemed  like  a  city  let  down  from  the  sky.  The  dry 
sticks  of  rails  and  fence  glanced  in  all  the  colors  of  the 
prism !  I  walked  with  Mary  Fisher  from  the  home- 
stead under  the  elms  to  the  weekly  lyceum  in  the  town 
hall,  where  the  people  of  the  village  met.  You  may  be 


LETTERS  TO  A  SON  167 

there  to-night!  Happy  years  have  come  and  gone: 
yet  not  gone,  for  their  beauty  and  love  remain,  and 
can  never  be  lost. 

Moody  and  Sankey  are  here.  I  think  they  are 
simple  and  plain  men,  not  mercenary,  and  inclined  to 
put  the  invitations  and  persuasions  of  religion  on  the 
grounds  of  reverence,  duty,  and  love.  They  do  not 
deal  in  the  old  staple  doctrines  of  depravity,  nor  nil 
the  background  with  lurid  flames  and  selfish  fears. 
They  will  draw  crowds.  The  secret  of  it  is  the  singing 
on  the  minor  key.  It  kindles  emotion,  and  unseals  the 
fountain  of  tears,  but  it  does  not  supply  that  power  to 
the  will  which  nothing  but  the  enthusiasm  of  duty  and 
love  can  do.  Their  influence  will  be  wide  and  shallow, 
and  soon  will  pass  away.  While  they  are  a  great  im- 
provement on  the  average  revivalist  of  former  years, 
both  in  their  probable  simplicity  of  character  and  in 
the  superiority  of  their  appeals  to  the  sentiments,  I 
do  not  feel  that  they  can  do  much  for  me,  nor  am  I  at 
all  inclined  to  join  them,  or  to  oppose  them* 

There  are  two  classes  of  minds,  my  son,  which  are 
brought  out  very  clearly  in  their  relation  to  religion, 
and  the  questions  involved  in  religion.  One  class  is 
hard,  dry,  sterile,  unimaginative,  and  dogmatic, 
whether  believing  or  skeptical.  It  settles  everything 
within  positive,  definite  boundaries  of  affirmation  or 
negation,  because  it  sees  so  little.  The  other  class, 


1 68  HORATIO  S'TEBBINS 

longer-winged,  longer-minded,  deeper-breathing,  with 
a  roundabout  and  beyond-looking  sympathy,  see  and 
feel  the  many-sidedness  of  truth,  and  are  perplexed  or 
grieved  with  its  seemingly  ever-changing,  kaleido- 
scopic, transient  appearance.  To  such  natures,  en- 
dowed with  sight  and  deeper  capacity  of  joy  and 
suffering,  there  is  always  a  struggle,  until  the  nature 
of  truth  is  felt  and  the  mind  and  soul  and  heart  are 
brought  into  sympathy  with  it. 

Your  questionings  are  prophetic,  and  even  if  they 
are  trying,  they  are  the  clarifying  process  of  the  mind. 
In  the  first  place,  you  must  remember  that  all  our 
great  convictions  are  growths  and  not  manufactures. 
Dogmatic  religion  can  make  a  faith  to  order,  the 
expedient  of  weakness  and  fear,  but  those  whose  hearts 
are  nourished  by  the  divine  spirit  can  wait  for  dew 
and  rain  and  wind.  The  thirst  for  "positive  knowl- 
edge" in  things  spiritual  is  only  an  ignorant  desire  to 
extend  the  empire  of  mathematics  over  the  kingdom  of 
God.  The  demonstrable  is  soon  exhausted,  and  what  is 
apprehended  is  much  more  influential  with  us  than 
what  is  comprehended.  The  great  moral  verities  of 
our  being  are  laid  in  eternal  strength :  but  they  do  not 
account  to  us  for  all  the  methods  of  truth,  more  than 
yonder  light  by  the  sea  casts  revealing  splendor  upon 
the  sun,  or  makes  plain  to  us  the  soft  and  noiseless 
axle  of  the  earth.  They  reveal,  indeed,  that  light,  here 
or  there,  is  of  the  same  nature,  and  all  strength  is  from 


LETTERS  TO  A  SON  169 

the  same  will.  Here,  then,  we  are  firm.  The  divine 
manifestations  in  man  are  the  highest  theme  on  which 
the  mind  can  dwell.  Historic  grandeur  invests  Jesus 
as  the  unique  expression  of  God  in  humanity.  He  must 
have  felt  himself  to  be  the  exponent  of  the  race.  His 
life  and  being  are  our  common  nature  awakened  and 
living  in  its  relation  to  God.  I  cannot  speak  of  him 
as  "a  beautiful  spirit"  unless  beauty  is  made  synony- 
mous with  power.  His  lovely,  terrible,  unique  person- 
ality is  what  draws  my  wonder  and  love.  Do  you  ask 
how  he  came  to  be  that  unique  illustration  of  man  in 
his  divine  relations?  That  is  the  mystery,  also,  of 
every  other  personality.  What  makes  one  man  differ 
from  another  in  the  type  of  his  being  ?  It  is  the  secret 
of  all  personality.  It  is  true  of  every  genuine  life  that 
is  hid  in  God.  How  came  Shakespeare  to  transcend  all 
men,  and  yet  to  be  recognized  by  all  as  a  fuller  repre- 
sentative of  their  own  nature  ?  It  is  his  very  character- 
istic to  be  natural,  while  he  is  so  infinitely  above  us ! 
While  Christ  is  unique,  the  mystery  is  not  unique. 
It  is  universal :  we  see  it  in  daily  life,  and  at  our  own 
firesides.  We  have  little  conception  what  our  nature 
is  in  its  fullness  when  brought  into  its  highest  relation 
with  God.  If  you  ask  me  what  he  is,  I  answer  he  is  the 
personification  of  man,  universal  man,  in  his  divine 
relations;  and  illustrates  you  and  me  in  the  possi- 
bilities of  our  being,  under  God.  There  is  nothing  new 
in  Christianity  but  Jesus  himself.  There  is  not  one 
single  phase  of  spiritual  truth  in  the  New  Testament 


i  yo  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

that  had  not  flashed  on  the  soul  of  some  man  before. 
The  stones  of  Angel  Island  were  here  before  the  Bank 
of  California,  but  they  were  not  the  Bank  of  Cali- 
fornia. Yet  the  only  thing  that  is  new  is  the  Bank 
itself.  The  order  and  unity  and  beauty,  brought  out  of 
what  was  before  disorder  and  fragmentary  form  —  such 
is  the  personality  of  Jesus  in  the  moral  and  spiritual 
world. 

Yours  of  the  2ist  came  at  breakfast.  We  notice  with 
great  satisfaction  all  that  interests  you.  I  am  pleased 
that  you  have  remembered  your  Uncle  Roderick. 
Your  words  of  simple  and  affectionate  sympathy  will 
be  a  great  satisfaction.  We  are  disposed,  my  son,  to 
undervalue  the  expression  of  our  thoughts  and  feelings 
to  others:  If  only  we  can  do  it  with  simplicity  and 
respectful  sympathy  it  has  great  influence.  To  do  it 
with  true  gentleness  of  manners  and  yet  with  moral 
strength  is  a  great  means  of  growth  to  ourselves  and  a 
great  support  to  others. 

I  am  gratified  to  get  your  idea  of  Irving.  He  must  be 
a  great  actor,  who  presents  his  characters  from  ideas 
within,  rather  than  from  patterns  without.  Actors, 
generally,  are  only  imitators,  not  men  of  inspiration 
and  idea.  Can  any  man  personify  completely  all 
there  is  in  any  great  character  of  Shakespeare  ?  What 
a  creature  Shakespeare  is!  I  have  received  great 
benefit  from  comparing  him  in  his  sphere  with  Jesus 
in  his  sphere.  They  both  seem  matchless  in  theii 


LETTERS  TO  A  SON  171 

endowment.  The  one  deals  with  human  nature  in  its 
thoughts  and  passions  on  the  ordinary  plane  of  life; 
the  other  carries  that  human  nature  into  its  divine 
relations,  and  shows  man  in  relation  with  God. 

I  have  just  received  the  memoir  of  Charles  Lowe,  my 
classmate  in  the  Divinity  School.  It  is  a  fine  record  of 
a  pure  and  spotless  life.  He  kept  a  journal !  I  have 
not!  Do  you?  It  has  many  advantages :  first,  it  brings 
one  to  time,  and  compels  a  great  discipline  of  the  will ; 
second,  it  fastens  many  thoughts,  doings,  sayings, 
events,  which  in  the  accumulations  of  experience  afford 
a  rich  fund  of  satisfaction. 

Mr. 9s  apparent  neglect,  is  another  of  those 

things  that  you  have  got  to  get  used  to.  It  is  some- 
times very  trying.  Indulgent  feeling,  a  kind  of  round- 
about wisdom  and  charity,  may  find  many  apologies 
for  such  things  in  a  man,  but  there  is  a  residuum  of 
impatience,  and  a  feeling,  too,  that  one  will  not  expose 
himself  again  to  what  seems  an  indecorous  neglect 
The  accidents  of  conduct,  my  son,  are  very  great,  and 
a  man  by  a  tone  of  voice  or  an  air  of  indifference  may 
lose  the  opportunity  of  a  lifetime,  when  he  has  no 
thought  of  it !  No  man  uses  the  English  language  cor- 
rectly ;  and  no  man  is  up  to  the  finest  conduct  always ; 
truth  is  one,  error  is  multiple. 

Your  account  of confirms  my  general  im- 
pression. The  great  balance  and  equity  of  the  mind 


172  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

is  in  having  a  taste  for  truth,  or  a  poetic  appreciation 
of  it.  Then  the  intellect  may  be  as  reckless  as  a  comet, 
but  reason  and  the  heart  will  be  strong  as  the  sun. 
To  put  things  merely  analytically  is  the  office  of  an 
incomplete  development.  A  noble  mind  has  centrif- 
ugal and  centripetal  tendencies;  and  if  one  is  too 
great  or  out  of  harmony  with  the  other,  you  whirl 
into  bleak  space,  or  are  drawn,  like  the  moth,  into  the 
flames. 

I  am  impressed  with  your  appreciation  of  our  old 
and  faithful  servant.  No  better  test  of  a  man's  man- 
ners and  heart  can  be  made  than  his  way  with  those 
of  inferior  position,  and  especially  his  servants.  There 
is  that  fine  gradation  of  respect  which  makes  them  feel 
your  sincerity,  and  also  keeps  their  respect  for  you ; 
which  is  as  important  to  them  as  to  you. 

The  sentimentalism  of  which  you  speak  is  a  weak- 
ness, and  sometimes  an  affectation.  To  be  moved  by 
fine  emotions  and  sensibilities,  restrained  power  and 
thought  and  feeling,  gives  the  keynote  of  all  moral 
force  in  conduct  or  address.  You  will  strike  the  right 
key  in  "doubt  and  belief."  What  is  doubt?  and  what 
is  belief?  Doubt  is  the  spiritual  world  unsubdued,  as 
the  world  of  matter  is  a  blind  abstraction  until  intelli- 
gence has  made  its  conquests.  It  is  God's  challenge 
to  our  souls  to  find  him.  Why  has  he  not  made  belief 
as  plain  as  the  road  to  town,  and  stormed  our  spirits 
into  faith  in  spite  of  us?  Why  does  he  stand  at  the 


LETTERS  TO  A  SON  173 

door  and  gently  knock  ?  Why  does  he  not  knock  the 
door  down  and  come  in  and  take  forcible  possession  ? 
Because  life  is  a  conquest,  and  faith  is  a  conquest  over 
the  dark  obstruction  of  the  senses,  and  the  rude  powers 
of  our  minds.  Doubt  is  the  childhood  of  the  soul,  the 
under-age  of  the  will,  and  belief  is  the  mind  and  heart 
trained  to  duty  and  love.  If  you  come  to  particular 
doubts  and  to  particular  beliefs,  there  is  yet  a  vast 
domain  that  must  in  all  minds  of  any  depth  and  rich- 
ness be  undecided.  There  are  many  things,  on  which 
to  be  decided  is  evidence  only  of  a  barren,  sterile 
mind.  The  great  beliefs  are  like  climates;  they  are 
not  berries,  and  pickles,  and  preserves. 

The  attempt  to  gain  influence  through  second-rate 
motives  is  always  degrading,  and  commonly  in  the  end 
deceives  the  inventor.  Serious,  hearty  earnestness, 
equally  removed  from  lugubrious  piety  and  irreverent 
frivolity,  is  the  real  power  of  any  man's  personality. 
There  are  a  hundred  things,  in  which  there  is  "no 
hurt,"  that  will  ruin  a  man's  influence  before  he  knows 
it.  This  pertains  especially  to  manners.  To  be  genial 
without  being  silly,  to  be  social  yet  easily  dignified,  is 
one  way  in  which  men  gain  influence,  not  by  being 
like  others,  but  by  being  unlike  them.  This  matter  of 
giving  substitutes  for  religion,  such  as  some  scheme 
of  philosophy,  or  a  kink  in  science,  is  a  short-breathed 
way  of  getting  along,  and  deludes  by  a  kind  of  mo- 
mentary attraction,  as  a  baby  is  diverted  from  his 


174  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

mother's  breast  by  a  red  apple,  to  be  weary  of  it  soon, 
and  turn  again  to  the  fountains  of  life.  The  religious 
idea  in  things,  events,  and  experience  —  that  is  the 
matter  for  the  preacher;  that  is  insight,  and  to  set 
forth  what  he  sees  makes  him  teacher  of  men.  That, 
while  it  runs  parallel  with  ordinary  knowledge,  reveals 
a  human  element  which  the  ordinary  man  does  not  see 
until  it  is  shown  to  him ! " 

I  have  read  swiftly  Masson's  sketch  of  Keats,  just 
to  refresh  my  mind  and  feeling  with  the  impression  of 
so  fine  a  creature.  He  seems  to  dash  the  doctrine  of 
heredity  all  in  pieces.  Indeed,  heredity  is  not  a  law, 
but  a  tendency,  and  the  tendency  sometimes  con- 
tradicts itself.  Law  means  invariable  sequence,  tend- 
ency means  general  gravitation  in  a  given  direction. 
The  one  is  science,  the  other  is  probability.  One  is  of 
the  nature  of  ascertainable  cause  and  effect,  the  other 
is  of  the  nature  of  unknown  cause  and  effect.  There  is 
a  disposition  in  some  quarters  to  push  our  exact  knowl- 
edge too  far,  in  this  matter  of  the  human  constitution. 
Our  frame  and  its  functions  are  not  matters  of  posi- 
tive demonstrable  knowledge.  Pathology  and  medi- 
cine are  not  exact  sciences;  neither  is  descent  or 
heredity  in  man  or  animals.  There  sometimes  seems 
to  be  a  terrible  and  cruel  truth  in  Kenan's,  I  think, 
saying  that  human-life-and-society  is  a  steaming 
moral  compost  from  which  grow  the  rarest  flowers, 
and  the  only  condition  of  having  the  flowers  is  having 
the  compost. 


LETTERS  TO  A  SON  175 

The  afflictions  of  human  life  are  the  perpetual 
wonder  and  trial  of  the  heart.  I  remember  distinctly 
when  the  impression  first  began  to  grow  on  my  mind 
and  feeling.  It  was  during  the  early  years  of  my 
experience  in  Fitchburg.  I  noticed  how  many  came 
into  the  church  on  Sunday,  in  their  mourning  weeds. 
The  selfish  view  of  suffering  and  sorrow  is  surely  an 
indication  of  a  narrow  mind  and  a  pinched  and  stingy 
heart.  The  trials  we  are  put  to  are  a  dark  mystery, 
but  they  are  a  fact !  and  I  think  they  are  ground  of 
faith  in  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God ;  for  a  human 
world  can  be  only  on  this  condition ;  and  unless  God 
saw  good,  final  good  to  all,  he  could  not  righteously 
or  mercifully  sustain  such  a  world. 

Mr.  Jackson  is  a  very  superior  man.  I  am  sincerely 
grieved  at  his  infirmity,  and  sometimes  ask  myself 
how  I  could  bear  it  But  tell  me  how  the  hard  and 
flinty  soil  matures  the  delicious  berry,  or  how  in  the 
dark  caverns  of  the  sea  there  bloom  the  colors  of  the 
mother-of-pearl,  and  tell  how  the  spirit  of  man  is 
nourished,  with  all  divine  powers  of  life  and  being, 
amid  the  anguish  of  sharp  adversity.  We  talk  much 
about  good  circumstances,  but  Heaven  only  knows 
what  circumstances  are  good. 

I  am  more  and  more  pleased  with  what  seems  to  be 
the  felicity  of  your  situation,  morally,  socially,  and 
materially.  You  appear  to  have  caught  the  spirit  of 
our  vocation,  and  day  by  day  to  be  feeling  its  influence. 


1 76  HORATIO  StEBBINS 

It  is  a  good  vocation,  and  affords  great  opportunities 
to  live  the  life  of  a  man,  engaged  with  the  finest 
objects  of  study,  thought,  and  action. 

I  went  to  hear  Mrs.  Norton  sing  last  night :  took 
Mrs.  Ward,  Kate,  and  Nora.  She  sang  very  finely,  and 
appeared  with  quiet  propriety.  I  wondered,  as  I  sat 
and  looked  and  heard,  how  a  woman  who  had  been 
through  so  much  disappointment  in  her  affections 
could  sing  so  appreciatively  those  ballads  that  praise, 
and  die  for,  human  constancy.  No  disappointment, 
no  anguish,  no  bitter  humiliation,  no  dreary  way  of 
loneliness  and  neglect  could  cast  a  doubt  on  the  great 
ideals  of  purity  and  devotion.  It  is  a  testimony  to  the 
survival  of  great  and  illustrious  sentiments  in  the 
midst  of  earthly  ruins,  and  of  a  light  that  beams  on  the 
heart,  above  all  broken  hopes. 

Your  experience  in  writing  sermons  revives  my  own. 
Take  simple  themes  —  one  thing,  and  stick  to  it,  I 
would  write  short  sermons  —  twenty  minutes,  or  five 
more  sometimes,  is  enough,  and  best.  Your  experience 
in  calling  interests  me.  I  have  found  it  best  for  me  to 
use  the  mornings  in  the  study,  and  the  afternoons  in 
pastoral  duties.  I  never  have  liked  calling  all  day. 
An  average  of  two  calls  a  day  will  carry  you  around 
often  enough,  I  should  think.  What  conduces  to  use- 
ful work  more  than  anything  else  is  to  get  so  settled, 
with  duties  laid  out,  that  one  can  work  easily  and  with- 


LETTERS  TO  A  SON  177 

out  worry.  Then  good  eating  and  sleeping,  rest  before 
eating,  if  one  is  tired,  and  rising  in  the  morning  with 
pure  taste  are  great  accessories  to  pleasant  work ;  then 
constant  communion  with  a  poetic  mind,  and  some 
new  intelligence  gained  every  day.  The  mind  becomes 
happy  in  study  then. 

You  went  to  see  Dr.  Hedge!  I  am  glad  you  did. 
Nothing  is  more  common  than  to  see  the  reserved 
manners  of  reflective  men  interpreted  to  mean  hauteur 
and  severity  of  bearing.  It  is  a  good  piece  of  manners 
to  know  how  to  meet  such  men  with  complete  self- 
possession,  on  the  same  plane  of  mind  with  themselves. 
Young  persons,  and  persons  who  at  any  and  every  age 
live  chiefly  in  the  outposts  of  the  mind  and  not  in  the 
citadel,  usually  think  that  reflective  men  are  proud  or 
unsympathizing.  It  is  a  great  mistake.  The  difference 
is  that  some  are  always  melted  down  and  flowing; 
others,  like  silver,  must  be  melted  down  before  they 
flow.  Dr.  Hedge  has  always  been  a  reserved  man,  and 
he  lacks  that  genial  ardor  that  gives  one  a  pleasant 
and  cordial  introduction,  but  he  has  the  elements  of 
intellectual  and  moral  greatness.  I  hope  you  were  not 
embarrassed  in  his  presence :  but  if  you  were,  it  would 
not  hurt  you  in  his  estimation  or  in  your  own,  or  in 
mine.  Many  persons  think  I  am  a  stern  man.  I  sup- 
pose that  I  make  that  impression  sometimes  in  my 
more  reflective  moods ;  and  then  again,  the  only  way 
to  shake  off  some  talking  fool,  rescue  your  own  soul 


178  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

from  the  pit,  is  to  draw  into  your  shell  and  cease  to 
report. 

I  am  sure  the  occasion  to  see  and  hear  Mr.  Brooks 
must  have  been  helpful  and  instructive.  A  wise  and 
liberal  mind,  open  and  receptive,  is  always  ready  to  be 
taught  from  every  source  of  truth  and  good.  The 
individual,  alone  and  uninstructed  by  the  experience 
and  sympathies  of  others,  is  a  sterile  type  of  human 
nature.  I  would  like  to  have  you  tell  me  more  defi- 
nitely the  impressions  you  received  from  his  presence 
and  preaching.  As  I  have  told  you,  I  have  always  felt 
that  much  of  his  influence  is  presence;  not  merely  in 
avoirdupois,  but  in  that  fine  indescribable  halo  of 
moral  and  spiritual  life  which  belongs  to  all  in  whom 
the  high  truth  of  spiritual  being  is  personated. 

Have  you  read  "The  Control  of  the  Tropics"  by 
Kidd,  an  interesting  essay?  He  says  white  men  can 
live  there  only  as  a  diver  can  live  under  water.  A 
writer  in  the  Spectator,  not  in  controversy,  says  that 
they  can.  Jordan  says  that  they  can  live  there,  but 
instead  of  improving  the  people  they  will  sink  to  the 
level  of  the  natives.  Science  is  a  little  "too  previous" 
in  the  matter  of  races.  The  world  hasn't  been  going 
long  enough  to  determine  some  things.  The  dew  is  on 
the  grass  yet,  and  the  sun  isn't  above  the  trees  on  the 
eastern  mountains. 

I  am  quite  unable  to  understand  the  turkey  kind  of 


LETTERS  TO  A  SON  179 

life  of  the  wandering  here  and  there,  and  through  the 
grass  and  bushes,  leaving  the  children,  now  the  other 
side  of  the  fence,  and  now  in  the  ditch. 

I  see  so  many  broken-winged  birds,  so  many  whose 
affairs  are  piled  in  a  heap  of  ruin,  and  some  who  have 
lost  what  little  moral  substance  they  ever  had,  that  I 
am  often  pained  for  the  sorrows  of  the  world,  and 
refuge  is  found  only  in  vigilant  duty  and  in  the 
consciousness  of  the  upright  mind.  When  we  reflect 
that  much  of  the  trouble  of  men  is  brought  on  by 
themselves,  we  are  impressed  with  the  conviction  that 
little  can  be  done  without  a  modification  of  character, 
or  recharging  of  the  will.  My  error,  I  think,  has  been 
that  I  am  too  impressible  and  given  to  pity,  when  a 
wise  severity  would  have  been  more  true.  To  be  truly 
wise  and  kind  is  a  union  of  sentiment  and  truth  which 
we  may  look  for  only  in  the  Almighty. 

(After  hearing  General  Booth.)  It  is  a  platitude  to 
say  "They  will  do  much  good " ;  but  it  is  in  a  field  and 
by  methods  quite  off  my  plane.  I  can  give  it  only 
that  general  moral  sympathy  which  I  feel  toward 
fetichism  and  all  that  sensuous  form  of  religion  which 
characterizes  the  undeveloped  man.  The  common 
mind  must  have  religion  painted  in  tawdry  colors. 
I  am  only  glad  there  is  some  one  to  paint  it 

The  flash  of  war  streams  up  from  beyond  the  hori- 


i8o  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

zon  [1898]  and  gives  a  lurid  gleam  across  the  sky.  I 
feel  deeply  its  import  and  possible  result.  In  such  a 
time  one  wants  to  have  a  clear  idea,  at  least  to  himself, 
of  the  cause  and  purpose  of  a  conflict  in  some  respects 
new  to  us,  and  perhaps  destined  to  modify  the  rela- 
tions of  the  nations  of  the  world.  The  cause  of  the  war 
is  the  inefficiency  and  cruelty  displayed  by  an  ancient 
monarchy  in  the  government  of  the  colony  of  Cuba, 
near  our  shores.  All  just  sentiments  demand  that 
such  ww-government  with  its  attendant  miseries  should 
cease.  Christendom  agrees  in  that,  whatever  the  allied 
powers  of  Europe  through  jealousy  of  one  another 
failed  to  do  in  Armenia.  It  is  becoming  in  a  great 
nation  to  put  an  end  to  what  seems  to  be  ceaseless 
bloodshed  and  misrule.  This  is  our  cause,  as  I  under- 
stand it.  There  are  many  blunders  in  diplomacy,  and 
statesmen  do  not  believe  one  another,  and  war  carries 
with  it  all  the  motives  of  human  action,  mendacity, 
selfishness,  ambition,  honor,  patriotism,  and  liberty. 
But  mixed  with  all  these  passions  and  principles  there 
is  an  idea  of  justice  and  right,  that  gives  import  and 
meaning  to  war,  and  it  has  an  awful  morality  amid  all 
its  crimes  and  suffering. 

Whatever  our  Government  has  failed  to  do  through 
diplomacy  is  a  part  of  diplomacy  itself,  its  fraud,  cun- 
ning, duplicity,  and  passionate  will.  I  see  no  reason  to 
believe  that  war  would  have  been  averted  if  diplomacy 
had  been  continued.  A  decaying  monarchy  lay  across 
the  path  of  justice  and  right ;  collision  was  inevitable 


LETTERS  TO  A  SON  181 

unless  the  world  ceased  to  move.  We  are  at  war  with 
Spain !  A  great  war  estimated  by  dimension  or  idea, 
time  or  consequence. 

What  will  be  the  result?  No  man  knows.  The 
contingencies  are  very  great.  Our  business  is  to  say, 
and  compel,  that  a  government  so  weak  that  it  can  be 
only  cruel  shall  let  go.  If  we  say  and  do  that,  our  duty 
is  done,  and  all  honorable  sentiments  give  applause. 
Will  Cuba  have  peace  then  ?  Perhaps  not,  but  she  will 
be  working  out  her  own  problem,  and  will  have  as 
good  as  she  is  able  and  worthy  to  have,  with  no  med- 
dling from  abroad. 

But  I  am  no  prophet,  and  it  is  not  becoming  in  any 
man  to  assume  to  understand  the  future.  I  can  con- 
ceive contingencies  that  may  carry  the  war  into  for- 
eign lands,  and  involve  the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  and 
arraign  the  European  civilization  at  the  bar  of  modern 
judgment,  but  it  is  just  as  easy  to  conceive  that  it  will 
not  be  so.  Wise  men  and  fools  alike  prophesied  that 
our  Civil  War  would  be  over  in  ninety  days.  It  lasted 
four  years,  and  culminated  in  an  act  of  righteous 
humanity  of  which  they  never  dreamed.  That  war 
ended  in  humanity.  This  war  begins  in  humanity. 
Maybe  this  war  will  illustrate  as  truly  as  that  how 
little  men  know  to  what  a  principle,  the  only  eternal 
thing  on  earth,  will  lead.  Anyhow,  I  hope  for  swift 
and  heavy  blows,  quickly  to  bring  the  end. 

War  has  many  issues  and  outcomes  that  were  not 
contemplated  or  indicated  in  the  original  pronuncia- 


1 82  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

mento,  and  a  complete  change  of  mind  may  come  over 
a  nation  as  war  advances,  developing  new  conditions 
and  raising  new  questions.  I  do  not  know  that  I  have 
an  opinion  satisfactory  even  to  myself,  in  regard  to  a 
policy  that  may  lead  to  indefinite  territorial  aggran- 
dizement, but  the  views  of  those  who  rest  on  traditional 
immemorial  usage,  the  Constitution,  George  Washing- 
ton, do  not  convince  me.  The  growth  of  our  country, 
the  expansion  of  its  power,  the  extinction  of  slavery, 
have  all  come  in  spite  of  the  rigid  frame  of  the  Con- 
stitution, according  to  spirit,  elasticity,  and  spring 
that  recasts  the  setting  and  framework  of  nations  and 
the  world.  The  idea  of  nations  remaining  as  they  are, 
with  fixed  boundaries  and  limited  domain,  is  contrary 
to  all  experience  of  history  or  human  progress.  There 
is  a  self-correcting  process  in  the  very  constitution  of 
nature  informed  with  living  power.  I  will  not  agree  in 
this  or  that  about  the  present  war,  but  express  my 
conviction  that  it  will  put  us  in  new  and  more  vital 
relations  with  nations,  readjust  the  distribution  of  the 
world. 

September  7,  1898 

This  is  very  much  such  a  morning  as  that  of  Sep- 
tember 7, 1864,  when  we  came  into  the  harbor  through 
a  gray  mist  that  obscured  the  town.  The  period  be- 
tween then  and  now  is  a  considerable  portion  of  a 
man's  life,  and  gives  opportunity  for  retrospect  and 
prospect.  My  experiences  have  been  as  satisfactory, 


LETTERS  TO  A  SON  183 

perhaps,  as  the  experience  of  men  commonly  is  any- 
where. I  have,  on  the  whole,  led  a  life  of  self-respecting 
independence,  and  rendered  some  honorable  service. 
I  am  not  anxious  for  the  future,  and  have  no  desire  for 
posthumous  eulogy ;  while  to  be  beloved  and  remem- 
bered by  those  who  are  nearest  me  is  my  humble  but 
divine  ambition.  I  confess,  with  gratitude,  that  the 
longer  I  live,  the  more  deeply  am  I  impressed  by  the 
grandeur  of  the  world  scene,  and  the  more  ardently 
do  I  contemplate  the  fortune  and  destiny  of  Human- 
ity. While  human  nature  is  ever  the  same,  there  are 
great  eras  of  human  progress,  when  man  seems  more 
receptive  of  the  Divine  Spirit  and  the  world  gets  a 
fresh  impulse  from  on  high,  attesting  that  man  is 
never  deserted  by  the  Maker,  and  that  immortality 
alone  is  the  theater  on  which  the  Eternal  Mind  can 
work  out  the  infinite  designs  of  good. 

August  i,  1899 

Horatio  has  just  come  in  to  bid  me  good-morning ! 
His  heart  is  as  strong  as  the  sun,  and  his  mind  as  clear 
as  the  sky.  His  going  awakes  the  sentiments  I  felt 
when  you  left  me  for  Cambridge,  when  every  pain  was 
soothed  by  gratitude.  What  you  say  about  Williams 
[Theodore  C.J  gives  me  great  pleasure.  He  is  a  man, 
a  scholar,  and  a  gentleman,  and  his  spiritual  mind  is 
not  infested  with  the  owls  and  bats  that  flutter  in  the 
dark  of  much  believing.  Give  him  and  Mrs.  Williams 
my  salutations,  when  you  see  them,  and  tell  them  that 


1 84  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

I  distinguish  them  from  others  by  a  kind  of  cheerful 
glory  around  their  heads. 

As  for  myself,  I  am  about  as  well,  I  suppose,  as  I 
can  expect  to  be,  and,  while  my  strength  is  dimin- 
ished, I  enjoy  much  and  feel  many  sources  of  wisdom, 
gratitude,  and  love,  of  which  your  mind  and  heart 
are  perennial  fountains. 


CHAPTER  IX 
SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS 

[DR.  STEBBINS  habitually  made  use  of  clear-cut,  epi- 
grammatic sayings,  which  condensed  a  philosophy 
into  a  sentence.  The  present  chapter  includes  some  of 
these  characteristic  condensed  statements,  as  well  as  a 
few  extracts  from  addresses  or  sermons.] 

LIFE 

THE  guides  of  life  are  not  demonstrations,  but  opin- 
ions, judgments,  probabilities,  faith. 

True  greatness  always  and  everywhere  is  a  great  spirit, 
and  the  power  that  moves  a  great  spirit  is  the  heart. 

The  exercise  of  generous  and  unselfish  affections  is  the 
only  true  happiness  on  earth  or  in  heaven. 

We  want  to  feel  and  know,  not  how  God  made  the 
world  or  why  he  made  it,  but  that  our  hearts,  our 
consciences,  our  imaginations  are  in  sympathy  with 
his  will  and  love. 

Virtue  is  positive ;  vice  is  negative.  We  often  miss  the 
attainment  of  real  excellence,  because  we  think  it  con- 
sists simply  in  getting  away  from  our  sins. 

The  eternal  reason  for  doing  right  is  because  it  is  right ; 
any  other  reason,  such  as  getting  hurt  or  going  to  hell, 


1 86  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

is  a  sneaking  apology,  and  has  no  relation  to  morality, 
pure  and  true. 

There  is  no  heresy  but  the  heresy  of  not  believing  in 
duty,  virtue,  excellence,  and  love.  These  alone  are 
universal  as  human  nature  and  belong  to  every  human 
being  as  an  endowment  from  heaven,  and  have  the 
same  native  glow  in  all  fashions  of  the  tribes  of  the 
world. 

We  cannot  think  of  the  enormous  trial  which  is 
undergone  in  the  world  by  vast  multitudes,  without 
the  thought  of  some  sublime  fruit  to  come  of  it  some 
day.  It  may  not  emerge  from  the  struggle  of  bare 
endurance  here,  but  has  not  the  seed  been  sown  ? 

I  would  live  as  though  there  were  no  such  thing  hi  this 
world  as  death  for  me  or  for  others.  I  would  live  with 
my  thoughts  amid  things  that  endure;  in  work  and 
duty  and  love,  until  death  itself  is  consumed  in  life, 
the  resurrection  going  on  day  by  day,  the  mortal 
putting  on  immortality. 

The  eternal  foundations  are  sentiments:  Honor, 
Shame,  Patriotism,  Reverence,  Love  of  Beauty,  Jus- 
tice, Goodness,  Conscience.  These  have  no  time  or 
season,  and  suffer  no  mutations  of  uncertainty  or 
doubt. 

It  has  been  said  that  we  dig  our  graves  in  our  youth ; 
but  a  sadder  thing  is  a  low-toned  dull  maturity  that 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       187 

has  no  resurrection  power,  and  holds  to  life  from  mere 
animal  instincts.  The  only  thing  that  can  help  us  is  a 
new  resolve  by  which  the  breath  of  heaven  may  fill 
our  sails,  and  bring  us  out  of  the  wretched  doldrums  of 
a  soul  delayed  in  the  senses,  into  the  wide  sea  and  free 
winds  of  a  new  life.  If  we  can  carry  our  self-reproach, 
accepting  willingly  its  burden,  knowing  that  we  are 
not  estranged  from  the  love  and  forgiveness  of  God, 
there  is  great  hope  for  us. 

All  our  past  that  is  precious  must  be  brought  into  the 
present  as  living  force,  and  all  our  past  that  is  mistake, 
or  folly,  or  sin,  must  be  left  behind.  We  are  here  — 
our  work  is  here  —  our  duty  is  here  —  our  being  is 
here  —  and  here  is  the  kingdom  of  God.  Don't  look 
back  after  it ;  forward  is  the  course ! 

While  we  do  all  in  our  power  to  remove  temptation 
from  the  weak,  we  should  always  teach,  and  nail  the 
truth  on  every  height  of  moral  glory,  that  temptation 
is  not  only  an  opportunity  to  vice,  but  also  an  oppor- 
tunity to  virtue. 

As  the  glad  light  of  day  comes  invariably  with  the 
returning  sun,  so  peace  and  joy  and  the  divine  love 
and  benediction  always  come  with  our  return  to  truth 
and  duty,  however  far  we  may  have  wandered  from  it. 

Wherever  on  the  earth  stand  the  monuments  of  human 
struggle,  self-sacrifice,  and  devotion,  there  it  is  good  for 
the  living,  as  they  move  forward  in  ever-flowing  pro- 


1 88  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

cession  of  generations,  to  pause  in  their  march  and  pay 
venerating  respect,  gratitude,  and  admiration, 

God  forbid  that  I  should  decry  learning,  refinement, 
intellectual  culture,  in  any  form  in  which  these  adorn 
human  lif e  with  beauty,  luxury,  and  power ;  but  these 
are  not  supreme,  and  they  are  not  the  climax  of  indi- 
vidual greatness,  or  of  the  nation's  glory.  What  we 
want  as  individuals,  what  society  wants,  is  not  so 
much  increased  intellectual  force  as  awakened  moral 
sensibility. 

THE  USES  OF  LIFE 

To  him  who  looks  upon  the  world  aright,  life  is  desir- 
able, if  only  for  discipline.  When  Job  was  surrounded 
by  afflictions  of  the  severest  kind,  he  exclaimed: 
"I  would  not  live  alway " ;  but  modern  writers  have 
exclaimed,  "I  ask  not  to  stay,"  as  if  the  duties  of  life 
were  a  loathsome  task  which  to  be  discharged  from 
would  be  "unspeakable  gain."  What  Christian  would 
not,  with  the  ancient  patriarch,  exclaim,  "I  would 
not  live  alway" ;  yet  who  would  say,  "I  ask  not  to 
stay"?  I  would  ask  to  stay.  I  would  live  a  long  life ; 
I  would  live  for  virtuous  discipline,  to  do  good,  to 
alleviate  suffering  humanity,  to  raise  the  immortal 
mind  by  communion  with  the  truth  and  with  God ;  to 
practice  the  principles  of  love  and  good- will  which  the 
Saviour  of  men  taught ;  to  contemplate  the  character 
of  God  in  his  works ;  to  enjoy  communion  with  friends, 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       189 

and  to  visit  the  graves  of  those  whose  memory  and 
parting  blessings  are  yet  fresh  in  the  mind.  I  would 
hear  the  thunder  as  it  rolls  through  the  heavens  as  the 
voice  of  God,  and  behold  the  gathering  cloud  as  it 
rises  in  terrific  grandeur,  the  chariot  of  the  Almighty. 
I  would  see  the  mighty  forest  tree  bend  with  graceful 
meekness  before  the  tempest,  and  when  the  storm  is 
over  see  it  stand  firm  and  towering  upwards,  and  learn 
the  lesson  from  it,  that  virtue,  though  meek,  is  firm 
and  unrelenting.  I  would  hear  the  tiny  shout  of  the 
little  child,  as  he  runs  to  meet  his  father  returning 
from  the  toils  of  the  day.  I  would  see  him  wrapt  in 
sweet  slumbers,  with  the  smile  playing  on  his  lips. 
In  the  mountain  waterfall,  in  the  delicate  lily  which 
blooms  in  the  vale,  and  in  the  rippling  rill  that  mur- 
murs by  the  cottage  of  content  with  music  sweeter 
far  than  that  of  the  fair  daughters  of  Italy,  in  the  fly- 
ing cloud,  I  would  learn  a  lesson  of  life.  In  all  these  I 
would  learn  the  character  of  God.  Are  these  not  worth 
living  for?  They  are  worth  a  lifetime,  however  check- 
ered that  life  may  be  with  temptation  and  evil ;  and 
in  the  proportion  by  which  we  overcome  wrong,  our 
lives  will  be  valuable.  I  would  live  long  for  this.  The 
joys  of  heaven  are  worth  a  lifetime  of  preparation,  and 
he  who  disciplines  most  will  be  the  best  prepared  for 
that  enjoyment.  I  would  live  then  until  the  silvery 
locks  of  virtuous  old  age  should  be  an  emblem  of 
fitness  for  the  society  of  heaven.  To  him  who  has 
spent  a  life  like  this,  the  tomb  is  stripped  of  its  terrors ; 


190  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

the  chills  of  death  are  as  the  smiles  of  God's  counte- 
nance. 

My  time  has  come.  It  is  best  that  I  should  go.  I  have 
loved  you  all ;  love  me  still.  Remember  me  with  gentle 
sorrow  and  cheerful  gratitude.  We  have  loved  one 
another,  and  how  happy  have  we  been  in  that  love. 
What  may  we  not  expect  from  the  infinite  love? 

AGE 

AGE  has  a  life,  a  plan  of  thought  and  feeling,  rather 
than  a  field  of  action.  It  is  divided  between  remem- 
brance and  hope ;  experience  has  become  transformed 
to  wisdom ;  and  the  heart  of  the  child,  the  hope  of  the 
youth,  and  the  strength  of  the  man,  have  all  and  each 
contributed  their  finest  quality  to  these  summits  of 
existence,  which  the  light  of  parting  day  tinges  with 
supernal  glory.  The  finest  quality  of  life  is  in  age, 
when  thought,  remembrance,  and  hope,  reflection  and 
imagination,  gathering  up  all  the  materials  of  life, 
crown  our  earthly  experience  with  eternal  power  and 
beauty. 

IMMORTALITY 

WE  never  consider  man  and  his  material  frame  identi- 
cal. Our  idea  of  him  is  something  superior  to  the  body. 
The  life  of  the  body  is  held  subject  to  a  higher  life  in 
our  very  conception  of  duty.  Conscience  overrides  the 
natural  instincts,  but  man  never  completely  succeeds 
on  earth  in  doing  what  the  spirit  wills.  Virtue  is  never 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       191 

completely  realized.  What  a  host  of  unused  abilities 
and  what  feeble  attainments !  Shall  not  another  term 
and  a  longer  date  perfect  the  fruit  which  the  days  of 
the  world  are  too  short  to  ripen  ?  The  climax  of  all  our 
thought  is  that  men  believe  in  immortality,  and  the 
proof  of  it  is  that  faith  in  it  that  realizes  it.  Mankind 
in  all  ages  have  had  a  hope  of  perpetual  life,  a  fond 
expectation.  Has  he  endowed  his  offspring  with  such  a 
sentiment  and  expectation  only  that  they  may  see 
their  nature  at  last  a  lie  ?  Is  this  holy  and  triumphant 
suggestion  of  our  nature  false?  Impeach  not  the 
Author  of  our  frame  by  affirming  that  he  has  put  a  fact 
or  a  faculty  into  our  being  which  has  no  corresponding 
truth.  Amid  much  weakness,  confusion,  and  tears, 
beneath  these  great  persuasions  of  our  being,  man's 
spirit  still  affirms  that  the  grief  of  unsatisfied  desire 
is  his  grandeur,  and  discontent  with  the  limitations  of 
the  present  is  a  promise  of  immortality.  I  know  of  no 
testimonies,  presumptions,  evidences,  in  the  whole 
range  of  man's  moral  experience  and  history,  equal 
to  those  which  proclaim  his  immortality. 

I  trust  that  every  one  who  believes  in  immortality, 
believes  that  he  will  meet  again  with  those  who  have 
been  most  dear  to  him  on  earth.  I  have  sometimes  felt 
that  I  would  not  make  another  friend,  if  all  that  I 
could  enjoy  of  him  were  confined  to  this  earth.  I  need, 
in  this  susceptibility  to  friendship,  in  this  power  and 
tendency  to  multiply  the  bonds  of  spiritual  kindred 


192  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

and  affinity,  the  assurance  that  we  are  laying  up 
treasures  for  our  heavenly  life,  providing  friends  that 
shall  be  ours  forever.  Let  us  feel,  then,  that  we  lose 
nothing  and  risk  nothing  by  our  friendships  that 
sometimes  seem  brief  and  fruitless;  and  when  the 
thought  of  some  dear  friend,  long  unseen,  and  perhaps 
never  to  be  seen  again  on  earth,  comes  over  us  with 
almost  painful  vividness,  let  it  be  as  a  gentle  wind 
upon  the  harp  of  prophecy,  let  memory  merge  in  hope, 
and  let  our  minds  and  hearts  and  imaginations  turn 
for  their  satisfaction  to  that  dwelling-place  of  God 
where  within 

Bright  gates  inscribed,  no  more  to  part, 

Soul  springs  to  soul,  and  heart  unites  to  heart. 

HEAVEN 

HEAVEN  cannot  possibly  be  anything  to  us  except  as 
the  culminating  and  idealizing  of  what  we  honestly 
care  most  for  here,  and  hell  cannot  possibly  be  any- 
thing to  us  except  the  culminating  and  idealizing 
of  what  we  dread  and  hate.  Here  reason  and  faith, 
always  hand  in  hand,  unite  in  a  purely  moral  and 
spiritual  conception  of  the  world  to  come. 

LOVE 

THE  essential,  elementary,  fundamental  item  of  faith 
is  the  insight  and  conviction  that  this  love,  that  is  from 
God,  and  is  the  divine  inspiration  of  our  souls,  is  the 
same  as  that  ceaseless  growth  of  good  that  shall  van- 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       193 

quish  and  subdue  the  evil  that  is  in  the  world.  This 
was  that  vision  of  Jesus  that  outstrips  science,  and 
sees  truth  in  eternal  light  as  it  is  in  God,  and  lovers 
of  humanity,  teachers,  philanthropists,  philosophers, 
may  expect  the  realization  of  their  hopes  and  their 
faith  from  the  increase  of  this  love  alone. 

Social  science  is  good  by  pointing  out  measures  and 
methods  by  which  love  may  work,  but  all  true  and 
living  reform  springs  from  a  radical  and  substantial 
growth  of  human  nature  in  moral  life ;  that  is,  from  an 
increase  of  love. 

If  man  loved  man,  as  God  loves  the  world,  what 
wrongs  would  be  abolished,  what  selfishness  and  sin 
would  be  extinguished,  what  corporate  and  individual 
wickedness  would  be  dissipated,  what  clouds  of  war 
would  be  swept  from  the  heavens,  and  what  graces 
and  charities,  and  lovely  affections  without  pedantry 
or  calculation  would  readjust  the  politics  of  the  earth 
and  change  the  climates  of  the  world  1 

HATRED 

HATRED  of  evil  is  no  measure  or  statement  of  excel- 
lence and  never  can  be.  Love  of  good  is,  and  ever 
shall  be. 

Doubtless  there  are  things  to  be  hated.  But  hatred  of 
anything  is  no  positive  good,  but  a  mere  negative 
quality,  and  square  leagues  of  it  could  never  make  a 
garden-plot  where  one  flower  could  grow. 


194  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

To  hate  evil,  to  see  imperfection  without  idea  of  the 
perfect  whole,  means  nothing  but  one's  own  imper- 
fection, and  testifies  to  a  degraded  will  rather  than  to 
a  pure  affection. 

In  respect  of  the  world  and  the  part  we  act  hi  it,  we  do 
most  good  when  we  pursue  the  good  and  let  the  evil 
alone.  That  is,  the  most  efficient  method  of  abolishing 
any  evil  is  to  overcome  it  with  good.  We  hate  evil 
more  than  we  love  good.  This  is  why  we  rarely  appre- 
ciate things  we  do  not  like. 

HONOR 

TRUE  honor  is  the  conscious  rectitude  of  the  soul,  in 
harmony  with  God  and  itself.  It  is  a  law  of  its  own 
beyond  laws  —  incarnate  rectitude,  the  ideal  morality. 
It  is  more  and  greater  than  honesty,  as  faithfulness  is 
greater  than  duty ;  as  faithfulness  overflows  duty,  so 
honor  overflows-  honesty.  This  is  the  meaning  and 
spirit  of  it  as  I  understand  it  now ;  as  it  has  come  down 
to  us  through  ages  of  changing,  increasing  morality. 

Honor !  The  glory  of  the  mind,  the  glory  of  God !  It 
is  a  world  splendor,  a  divine  glory,  a  manhood  great- 
ness! It  illumines  the  earth.  It  shines  through  his- 
tory, and  men  and  nations  behold  it,  the  terrible 
beauty  of  God ! 

SELF-REPROACH 

THERE  must  be  no  uneasy  self-reproach  for  what  has 
taken  place,  no  backward-looking  as  if  we  could  have 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       195 

shunned  this  or  that  under  which  we  are  suffering. 
True,  there  is  hardly  any  event  in  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence in  which  there  is  not  a  commingling  of  human 
agency,  and  there  is  often  a  sharp  and  painful  thought, 
"Had  I  only  done  otherwise  all  this  might  not  have 
been."  The  only  question  is,  Had  you  right  purposes? 
Did  you  do  the  best  you  knew?  If  not,  then  penitence 
and  contrition  become  you  before  submission,  and 
you  shall  bear  bravely  what  you  suffer  as  the  adequate, 
kind,  severe,  yet  healing  retribution  of  wrong-doing. 
But  if  your  conscience  is  clear,  if  what  you  regret  came 
by  no  fault  of  your  own,  then  it  is  yours  trustfully  to 
submit,  and  joyfully  to  hope.  True,  had  you  known 
what  you  now  know,  you  would  have  done  differently ; 
but  you  did  not  know.  You  could  not  have  known. 
Yours  is  not  the  gift  of  prophecy.  Had  you  this  gift, 
it  would  indeed  seem  a  powerful  protection,  but  it 
would  prevent  too  much.  It  would  shut  out  the  very 
dews  and  rains  and  sun  and  wind  of  this  great  experi- 
ence of  earthly  frailty  and  uncertainty/ 

INTELLECTUAL  HONESTY 

THERE  are  laws  of  thought:  and  reasoned  truth,  that 
knows  no  fortuitous  luck  and  no  blind  gropings  of 
chance  and  passion,  is  the  only  worthy  achievement  of 
the  mind.  Intellectual  development  is  not  merely  an 
individual  development,  but  a  common  sense  of  truth 
and  right  reason  in  the  common  mind.  It  is  the  in- 
crease of  order,  law,  causes,  and  consequence  in  the 


196  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

mind  of  an  age.  Freedom  of  thought  has  no  existence, 
except  when  based  on  intellectual  development,  such 
as  this.  On  any  other  grounds  free  thought  is  in  the 
intellectual  world  what  free  love  is  in  the  sensual  world. 
Without  the  rectitude  of  the  intellect,  thinking  is 
itself  a  vagary,  and  truth  is  a  caprice  of  self-will.  To 
be  intellectually  honest  is  the  last  accomplishment  of  a 
mind  that  moves  without  passion  or  prejudice  in  the 
happy  rhythm  of  truth,  simply  seeking  to  know  what 
is.  Intellectual  honesty  is  much  more  rare  than  moral 
honesty. 

PROPERTY 

PROPERTY  is  a  great  ethic  and  spiritual  education  of 
man.  It  is  a  provision  of  the  Maker  for  our  welfare. 
It  is  not  your  own  in  the  sense  of  an  irresponsible  sel- 
fishness. It  is  an  opportunity,  and  God  will  call  you  to 
account  for  it.  When  ownership  shall  not  merely  ask, 
"Is  it  not  lawful  for  me  to  do  as  I  will  with  mine 
own  ?  "  but  will  search  for  wisdom  and  truth  and  good- 
ness to  guide  and  transform  selfishness  to  moral  glory, 
then  man  will  dwell  with  man  as  with  a  brother,  and 
free  political  institutions  shall  not  be  defaced  by  the 
hideous  contrasts  of  social  condition. 

EXPERIMENT  AND  EXPERIENCE 

RELIGION  rests  on  the  certainty  of  principle.  There  is 
no  experiment  in  it;  there  is  no  reason  for  any  sus- 
picion that  it  will  not  work  well.  It  is  a  plain,  estab- 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       197 

lished,  eternal  thing.  It  is  not  found  out  or  formed  out 
by  experiment,  but  by  experience.  It  is  human  excel- 
lence. It  is  good  everywhere.  It  is  not  dependent  on 
locality,  or  climate,  or  season  of  the  year.  A  man  runs 
no  more  risk  in  living  under  its  law  than  in  breathing 
the  air  or  loving  his  child.  It  is  good  for  his  mind  and 
heart,  as  the  blood  is  for  his  body.  It  is  not  a  medicine : 
it  is  health  itself.  It  is  simple,  plain  goodness.  There 
is  no  man  to  whom  it  would  not  be  good  to  improve 
his  temper,  purify  his  feeling  and  conscience,  and  give 
generous  and  cheerful  hopes.  There  is  no  man  whom 
it  will  not  improve  and  bless,  and  help  to  do  or  bear 
whatever  may  be  appointed  to  him  in  human  lot. 
There  is  no  experiment  here,  but  the  experience  of  man 
is  the  guarantee  against  all  venture  or  risk.  The  claim 
of  religion  upon  us  is  not  that  it  asks  us  to  try  an  ex- 
periment, but  to  enter  upon  the  experience  of  eternal 
verity. 

BEING 

THE  reason  for  your  being  is  that  you  are  a  being ;  and 
the  end  and  purpose  of  it  are  that  you  may  be  more 
and  more  and  more  what  you  are,  even  unto  the  glory 
that  is  God's  glory. 

Those  that  have  the  purest  joy  know  that  happiness  is 
not  the  end  of  being,  and  comes  not  from  seeking  or 
following,  but  flows  from  the  glad  heights  of  a  soul 
that  in  itself  is  blessed. 


198  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

0  experience!  costly  jewel!  indefinable  substance! 
mysterious  thing !  extract  of  existence !  sum  of  life's 
toils,  and  aroma  of  life's  agonies !  compound  of  earth 
and  heaven  !  Experience !   Man's  thought,  hope,  feel- 
ing, joy,  and  pain  distilled  through  the  sands  of  God's 
wisdom. 

My  own  consciousness  of  untrained  faculties  and  unde- 
veloped powers  is  so  vivid,  and  what  I  am  is  so  feeble 
compared  with  what  I  might  have  been,  that  not  only 
my  life,  but  my  being  seems  sometimes  a  failure.  Yet 

1  am  not  moping  or  melancholy.  Neither  am  I  weep- 
ing over  an  unretrieved  past.  My  being  and  my  doing 
go  forward  into  the  great  future  where  I  trust  more 
abundant  life  will  find  more  abundant  calling. 

Not  having  or  doing  is  our  chief  attainment.  Being  is 
our  great  possession.  This  is  the  crowning  expression 
of  human  lif  e. 

Aspire,  and  you  shall  rise.  Do  your  first  duty,  and  the 
next  will  appear,  and  your  will  and  your  deed  shall  be 
one. 

No  man  who  withholds  himself  from  active  and  sym- 
pathizing association  with  the  poor  can  keep  the  foun- 
tains of  his  own  nature  flowing  with  that  generous 
moral  health  that  belongs  to  a  good  and  wise  heart. 

To  live  in  dreams  or  visions  is  sickly.  To  go  into  a 
cloister  and  meditate  on  eternity  is  morbid.  To  lose 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       199 

our  interest  in  the  present  world  in  thinking  about 
another  is  morbid.  The  highest  condition  is  that  in 
which  with  all  hearty  energy  one  lives  in  the  present 
with  his  life  drawn  from  the  past  and  the  future. 

It  is  not  longer  time  that  we  want  so  much  as  the 
capacious  soul  to  flow  through  the  little  we  have. 

ON  OVERCOMING 

IF  anything  in  nature  is  dearly  intended,  it  is  that 
arrangement  of  our  moral  constitution  by  which  it  is 
so  hard  to  be  anything,  so  hard  to  keep  a  steady  direc- 
tion upward  of  all  our  powers.  Amid  what  continuing 
besetting  difficulties  do  we  domesticate  a  virtue,  so 
that  it  will  stay  with  us  as  a  gentle  habit !  How  many 
times,  over  and  over,  must  it  be  acted  through  pure 
power  of  will.  Those  genialities  which  come  without 
this  labor  give  little  strength  of  character.  The  char- 
acter which  has  overcome  the  most  obstacles  in  its 
formation  is  the  best  and  strongest,  and  what  pro- 
found respect  do  we  feel  toward  one  who  has  started 
with  a  fund  of  inborn  ungenial  qualities  and  by  little 
and  little  brought  in  sunshine  and  joy!  Are  these 
labors  to  dishearten  men,  or  is  it  not  through  them 
that  men  feel  the  majesty  of  virtue  and  the  greatness 
of  obligation?  How  does  it  happen  that  the  more  we 
overcome,  the  more  we  love  the  fight?  Why  does 
patient,  quiet  acceptance  of  any  difficulty,  though  it 
pillows  us  upon  a  stone,  always  send  us  divine  assur- 


aoo  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

ance  and  strength?  So  wondrous  is  the  education  of 
life,  so  vast  the  discipline  of  the  soul ! 

GOD 

THE  most  sublime  conception  of  which  the  human 
mind  is  capable  is  that  of  an  infinite  personality  whose 
will  pervades  the  universe;  the  source  of  law  that 
moves  in  consentaneous  procession  in  all  realms,  from 
cause  to  effect ;  the  source  of  power  that  unfolds  the 
petals  of  a  rose,  and  draws  back  the  earth  from  its 
aphelion ;  the  source  of  love  that  warms  the  heart  of  a 
child,  and  kindles  the  flame  of  angelic  aspiration.  The 
idea  transcends  all  others,  and  is  an  apprehension,  not 
a  comprehension;  an  insight  of  pure  reason,  not  a 
conclusion  of  the  logical  understanding. 

Say  what  we  will,  let  theology  do  its  best,  and  let 
science  have  full  scope,  and  let  all  the  evidence  be 
brought  into  line  in  bristling  array,  yet  nothing  so 
persuades  us  of  the  great  realities  of  moral  and  spirit- 
ual being  as  the  man  hi  whom  God  is  manifest,  the 
type  of  our  human  nature  at  its  best,  and  the  faith 
that  God  in  humanity  is  the  sublime  revelation  of 
himself. 

To  be  brought  to  God's  judgment  is  to  be  brought  to 
a  discernment  of  the  truth  in  regard  to  ourselves. 

There  is  a  vast  over-balance  of  mercy  over  wrath.  Let 
us  trust  that.  Let  us  think  nobly,  triumphantly,  of 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS 

God,  and  be  sure  that  trust  in  a  righteous  God  means 
the  ultimate  triumph  of  good  over  evil. 

The  conviction,  the  feeling,  the  faith,  whatever  you 
call  it,  that  however  knowingly  men  may  look  upon 
this  world  and  see  nothing  but  society — all  solid 
mass  —  yet  to  God  the  world  is  all  individual ;  that 
conviction  alone  can  sustain  our  hope,  and  plume  our 
wings  to  fly  lightly  across  the  moral  abysses  of  the 
world. 

Let  us  think  nobly,  triumphantly  of  God :  and  be  sure 
that  trust  in  a  righteous  God  means  the  ultimate 
triumph  of  good  over  evil. 

The  tenderest  men  of  all  are  the  severest  with  them- 
selves. They  know  how  to  pity  who  know  how  to 
repent 

BELIEF 

THE  beliefs  which  Jesus  taught  are  of  the  same  nature 
and  kind  as  those  which  good  men  have  in  one  another. 
The  teachings  of  Jesus  were  not  to  make  propositions, 
but  to  bring  men  into  communion  with  God. 

Belief  is  not  faith,  and  no  amount  of  belief  is  faith. 
Faith  is  a  personal,  inward  knowledge  that  we  are 
spiritual  beings,  that  a  divine  life  belongs  to  us  as  the 
vocation  of  our  nature,  and  that  we  are  in  relation 
with  other  spiritual  beings,  our  fellow-man  and  with 
God,  the  source  of  all  being.  Faith  does  not  consist  in 


202  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

a  belief  in  spiritual  existence,  neither  is  it  to  be  con- 
founded with  the  acceptance  of  any  statement  in 
words.  It  is  not  assent  to  propositions.  It  is  the  sense 
of  a  living  and  supreme  authority  in  the  man  of  the 
heart.  It  is  a  state  of  spiritual  health  and  vitality  of 
soul  that  discerns  the  living  powers  of  spiritual  being 
and  responds  to  their  signals. 

Faith  in  its  true  and  pure  sense  is  not  toward  things  or 
propositions  of  the  understanding,  but  toward  spirit- 
ual beings  and  a  spiritual  order  above  the  dark  powers 
that  confront  and  contradict  us  here.  Belief  may  be  a 
purely  intellectual  state  touching  no  active  emotion ; 
but  faith  worketh  by  love.  It  is  of  the  very  essence  of 
it  that  it  lives  and  moves  and  has  its  being,  in,  and  for, 
and  toward  those  in  whom  its  trust  is,  its  objects  of 
worship,  its  models  of  duty,  its  springs  of  satisfaction, 
the  living  God,  and  the  living  imprint  of  God  in 
humanity* 

It  seems  to  me  that  if  a  man  would  be  square  with 
himself,  square  with  the  world  and  square  with  God, 
he  must  rest  in  some  great  truths,  stated  in  large,  free, 
and  indefinite  form.  There  are  some  things  of  our  most 
profound  conviction  which,  if  we  strive  to  give  them 
more  definite  conception,  either  vanish  or  involve  us 
in  confusion.  The  moment  that  religion  is  fixed  in 
dogma,  that  moment  the  dogma  begins  to  dissolve. 
Humanity  and  divinity  are  of  the  same  quality  and 
nature,  as  father  and  son.  Jesus  is  the  historic  witness 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       203 

of  the  height  to  which  human  nature  has  attained,  and 
the  eternal  figure  toward  which  the  church  of  God,  or 
human  society,  is  to  grow,  "till  we  all  come  into  a 
perfect  man,  unto  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the 
fullness  of  Christ." 

To  believe  is  to  realize  the  invisible.  To  believe  is  to 
see  with  the  soul,  as  nature  sees  with  the  body.  To 
believe  is  to  realize  God  as  the  source  of  our  being  and 
all  spiritual  illumination,  and  the  goal  of  destiny.  To 
believe  is  to  discern  and  live  in  a  world  above  and 
beyond  and  within  this  world,  whose  least  interests 
are  more  important  than  this  world's  greatest,  whose 
one  day  is  as  a  thousand  years  to  the  whole  duration 
of  the  earth.  To  believe  is  to  see  what  humanity  did 
become  in  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  and  to  see  in  him,  in 
whom  God's  glory  was  so  manifest,  the  possibility  of 
one's  self,  and  of  his  fellow-man.  It  is  to  believe  that 
humanity,  through  that  glory  that  cometh  from  the 
only  God,  may  become  thoroughly  divine.  Believing 
is  to  see  and  feel  that  discipline  teaching  education, 
that  mystery  that  we  call  moral  influence,  is  as  real  to 
man  as  the  beams  of  the  sun  or  the  revolving  earth. 
Believing  is  to  discern,  by  the  insight  of  the  soul,  that  a 
fine  and  pure  conscience,  reflecting  in  terribleness  and 
beauty  the  distinction  of  right  and  wrong,  is  as  real  as 
the  mountains  in  the  horizon  or  the  sea  rolling  in  the 
Almighty's  hand!  Believing  is  to  see,  with  the  eye 
behind  the  eye,  that  the  mind  of  a  child,  with  all  its 


204  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

tender  buds  of  thought  and  feeling  and  imagination,  is 
as  real  as  a  bank-account,  a  wide  area  of  land,  or  the 
choicest  breeds  of  cattle :  and  is  as  much  superior  to 
them  as  the  stars  of  heaven  are  to  a  beggar's  staff ! 
Believing  is  to  see  that  man's  heart,  and  woman's  love, 
and  childhood  beauty  reflect  a  light  that  is  not  on 
land  or  sea:  the  light  that  is  the  glory  that  cometh 
from  the  only  God ! 

THE  CHURCH 

THE  office  of  the  Christian  Church,  as  I  understand  it, 
is  to  stimulate  personal  character  and  life  to  moral  and 
spiritual  excellence,  and  to  cherish  those  revering  sen- 
timents toward  God  in  which  all  excellence  at  last  has 
its  root.  It  is  not  primarily  to  engage  the  soul  in  the 
work  of  its  own  salvation,  but  to  engage  it  rather  in  a 
free,  abounding  human  life.  Progressive  apprehension 
of  spiritual  truth,  the  nature  of  man,  duty,  and  destiny, 
is  the  keynote  of  human  welfare.  To  have  an  idea  of 
the  meaning  of  this  world  and  to  respect  it,  to  study 
its  wants  and  apply  the  principles  of  righteousness  and 
human  charity  to  life  and  experience,  and  to  find  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  in  the  helpful  and  hopeful  condi- 
tions of  earthly  existence,  in  short,  to  befriend  what- 
ever is  human,  this  is  the  office  of  a  Christian  Church. 
It  is  not  the  office  of  the  church  to  reflect  public  opin- 
ion, like  the  press,  but  to  show  the  pattern  forever  in 
the  mount,  and  that  moral  and  spiritual  ideals  are  the 
glory  of  the  world. 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       205 

If  the  church  survives,  it  will  be  because  she  is  inspired 
and  guided  by  the  spirit  of  truth  that  will  lead  her  to 
all  truth ;  and  all  truth  is  unity,  not  of  opinion,  but  of 
heart  and  will. 

THE  CREEDS 

THE  truth  is  that  this  whole  system  of  doctrine  mis- 
conceives the  moral  order  of  the  world.  To  call  belief 
in  it  faith  is  as  great  a  blunder  as  to  call  bookkeeping 
astronomy.  Faith  is  not  a  belief  at  all  expressed  in 
intellectual  form ;  it  is  a  free  motion  of  man's  moral 
nature  in  trust  and  love  toward  God,  the  Father  of  all ; 
and  to  confound  it  with  dogmatic  statements  of  any 
sort  is  a  confusion  of  thought  and  idea.  The  kind  of 
celestial  certainty  with  which  the  creed  speaks  is 
intellectual  impudence,  as  compared  with  those  moral 
and  spiritual  sentiments  which  are  the  very  heart  of 
religion. 

The  world  is  in  the  making,  and  its  ruins  and  disap- 
pointments and  defeats  are  not  a  relapse  from  a  former 
glory,  but  a  part  of  that  "process  of  the  suns"  which  is 
a  method  of  almighty  wisdom  and  love.  This  fronts  us 
with  God,  our  ideal  is  before  us,  and  destiny  is  a  glory 
to  be  won  in  the  future,  and  not  a  lost  paradise  to  be 
retrieved  from  the  past 

CHRISTIANITY 

IT  is  the  purpose  of  Christianity  to  purify  and  conse- 
crate human  nature. 


206  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

Christianity  is  as  old  as  creation.  Its  truth  is  in  human 
nature,  supremely  expressed  in  selected  souls,  among 
whom  Jesus  is  chief.  He  voices  human  nature  in  clear 
accents  of  truth  and  love,  snatches  of  a  celestial  song, 
the  glories  and  harmonies  of  a  moral  world.  In  this 
transcendent  expression  of  the  truth  that  is  universal 
as  man,  he  has  purified  the  hearts  of  men,  changed 
their  thoughts  of  God,  and  given  a  moral  impulse  to 
speed  the  race  on  toward  its  ultimate  goal,  through 
regions  where  old  truths  take  new  shapes,  and  new 
circumstances  call  for  new  actions.  This  is  the  eternal 
Gospel,  in  the  heart  of  God  when  he  laid  the  founda- 
tions of  the  world,  and  in  the  heart  of  man  when  God 
made  him  a  living  soul. 

Christianity,  a  revised  edition  of  human  nature,  takes 
the  world  as  it  finds  it,  as  it  is  and  not  as  it  ought  to  be, 
and  proposes,  through  eternal  principles  of  righteous- 
ness and  truth,  to  refine,  exalt,  and  bless  human-kind. 
This,  in  its  fullest  and  most  comprehensive  scope,  is 
what  we  mean  by  human  progress,  or,  in  that  com- 
pletest  phrase  that  ever  fell  from  lips  touched  with 
heavenly  fire,  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Christianity,  as  it  exists  in  the  common  opinion  and 
life  of  Christendom,  is,  doubtless,  a  religion,  but  as  it 
was  in  the  mind,  heart,  and  life  of  Jesus,  it  is  Religion. 
The  universal  and  human  quality  is  the  glory  of  it,  and 
it  is  that  which  raises  Jesus  above  the  level  of  the  mere 
teacher  and  makes  him  the  practical  and  ideal  deliverer 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       207 

of  the  world.  If  we  have  this  conception  of  him  and 
his  truth,  we  shall  go  to  him  for  the  impulse,  and 
power,  and  elevation  of  human  life,  rather  than  to 
trace  the  lines  of  a  religious  system.  The  most  pro- 
found and  authoritative  account  of  his  purpose  and 
aim  is  in  his  own  words:  "I  am  come  that  they 
may  have  life,  and  may  have  it  abundantly."  This 
is  Resurrection :  an  enlarged  capacity  of  moral  and 
spiritual  life ;  as  it  is  also  the  test  of  any  genuine  like- 
ness to  him.  This  test  would  bisect  the  sects,  exclude 
many  stout  believers,  give  heretics  a  place  in  the 
eternal  kingdom,  and  make  Christianity  as  wide  as  the 
world.  Then  we  shall  be  able  to  reconcile  intellectual 
difficulties  by  acknowledging  the  oneness  of  all  excel- 
lence and  the  oneness  of  the  religious  life. 

RELIGION 

RELIGION  is  the  recognition  of  the  divinity  in  all  things 
and  creatures,  animate  and  inanimate,  and  of  the 
relations  of  the  personal  soul  to  the  personal  God. 

Religion  assures  us  with  tender  and  entreating  voice 
that  God  is  ever  near,  doing  all  that  wisdom  and  love 
can  do,  within  the  limits  of  our  nature  and  circum- 
stances, to  lif t  us  out  of  our  difficulties,  to  repair  our 
misfortunes,  to  console  our  griefs,  and  to  make  up  in 
the  most  tender  manner  for  our  sorrows  and  struggles. 

Religion  is  not  a  profession ;  it  is  in  human  nature  and 
life,  the  law  and  love  of  our  being,  as  gravitation  is  in 


208  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

earth  and  star,  and  as  light  goes  forth  upon  land  and 
sea.  We  have  only  to  lay  hold  upon  that  law  and  love 
within,  and  our  being  becomes  real  to  us.  We  are 
satisfied  that,  though  life  has  many  illusions,  life 
itself  is  no  deception,  that  we  are  spiritual  beings  of 
kindred  nature  with  God,  and  that,  if  these  great 
sentiments  sway  our  hearts,  illume  our  reasons,  and 
inspire  our  action,  we  have,  by  the  grace  of  God, 
vested  rights  and  blessings  in  immortality. 

The  idea  that  there  can  ever  be  any  unity  of  religion, 
save  in  that  unity  of  variety  in  which  every  individual 
is  sacred  in  his  experiences  before  God,  is  fantastic. 
No  two  human  experiences  can  be  alike,  and,  though 
the  world  seems  to  a  finite  mind  all  solid,  to  an  infinite 
mind  it  is  all  personal,  and  we  must  have  done  with 
dogma  as  a  test  of  character  or  thought,  and  accept 
a  reverent  heart  and  upright  mind  as  the  final  test  and 
last  word. 

Finite  beings  like  ourselves  must  come  sometime, 
somewhere,  to  something  they  do  not  know,  and 
religion  offers  the  most  reasonable  satisfaction  in  the 
thought  that  what  finite  beings  cannot  fathom  is  not 
necessarily  unfathomable.  Religion  spans  the  chasm 
between  the  finite  and  the  infinite  by  the  method  of 
trust  and  love  in  and  for  a  being  of  intelligence  and 
goodness  above  our  own.  Reason  justifies  our  confi- 
dence, and  faith  makes  an  easy  flight  across  the  abyss. 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       209 

As  science  suggests  will,  so  religion  suggests  love. 

The  primal  interest  of  religion  is  with  the  individual, 
through  the  inspiring  power  of  personality.  It  is  for- 
ever the  "fifty  righteous  in  the  city"  that  saves  the 
city.  Let  all  secular  movements  go  on,  to  relieve  the 
stress  of  circumstances ;  the  real  source  of  energy  is 
found  in  personal  character,  in  the  actual  excellence 
and  virtue  that  radiate  from  high  and  pure  lives.  No 
more  vague  and  senseless  notion  ever  possessed  an 
honest  but  ignorant  mind  than  the  notion  that  the 
machinery  of  things  will  do  the  world's  noblest  work. 
All  excellence,  all  renovating  powers  are  finally  vested 
in  persons,  and  there  can  be  nothing  in  a  nation  or  a 
state,  or  a  city,  however  exalted  its  aims,  or  however 
perfectly  organized,  which  is  not  in  the  persons  com- 
posing the  city,  the  state,  or  the  nation.  An  ultimate 
standard  of  worth  is  an  ideal  of  personal  worth.  All 
our  inspirations,  all  our  visions  of  eternal  beauty  are 
visions,  remembered  glances  of  persons,  or  some  in- 
effable glory  of  Him,  all  good.  To  speak  of  any  prog- 
ress or  improvement  or  development  of  a  nation,  or 
society,  or  mankind,  except  as  relative  to  some  greater 
worth  of  persons,  is  to  use  words  without  meaning. 

This  moral  and  spiritual  fact  is  the  basis  of  religion, 
and  of  institutions  for  worship,  prayer,  and  teaching. 
Man's  nature  overlaps  this  outward  scenery  of  life 
and  experience,  and  there  are  capacities  in  the  human 
spirit  not  realizable  in  any  conditions  that  we  can 


210  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

conceive  on  earth.  Our  faith  in  that  Infinite  Person, 
like  ourselves,  though  infinitely  above  us,  is  justified 
by  gleams  of  suggestion  that  a  life,  lived  here  under 
conditions  of  limitation  that  thwart  its  full  develop- 
ment, shall  be  continued  hi  a  society  where  the  com- 
plete measure  of  our  capacities  shall  be  attained. 

To  this  end  is  religion  and  its  institutions  —  to  set 
in  operation  moral  agencies,  not  through  the  imper- 
sonal machinery  of  society,  but  by  the  presence  and 
contact  of  good  men  and  good  women  in  the  city,  the 
state,  or  the  nation.  To  this  end  every  true  teacher 
and  preacher  of  religion  is  born,  and  to  this  end  he 
comes  into  the  world :  to  be  the  interpreter  of  human 
life  in  its  sublime  relations  and  terrible  glories.  This 
is  my  thought,  my  view,  my  conviction. 

THE  LIBERAL 

THE  liberal  in  religion  has  a  glimpse  of  universality, 
and  as  the  climates  of  the  world  enfold  the  earth  and 
sea,  so  the  spirit  of  God  enfolds  the  world  of  man. 
There  is  no  infallibility  for  man.  He  is  guided  by 
opinions,  judgments,  probabilities,  faith,  hope,  and 
love,  great,  general,  all-comprehensive  truth  which, 
if  you  would  define  too  accurately  or  appreciate  too 
exclusively,  vanishes  and  spurns  the  thrall.  I  rest 
in  those  great  general  beliefs,  opinions,  and  ideas  of 
God,  man,  eternal  righteousness,  and  human  destiny 
that  give  sublimity,  grandeur,  and  hope  to  human 
life. 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       211 

Justified  by  his  own  moral  being  and  spiritual  con- 
sciousness as  the  interpreter  of  life  in  the  light  of 
religion,  he  must  move  fearlessly  on  that  shadowy 
twilight  border-ground  between  matter  and  mind, 
and  stand  in  the  verge  of  the  abyss  between  law  and 
will,  force  and  person,  which  science  cannot  bridge, 
keeping  open  communication  between  the  human  and 
the  divine,  confident  that  when  the  me  of  conscious 
moral  being  and  the  not-me  of  things  meet  as  sheeted 
ghosts,  and  sword  cuts  sword  in  viewless  air,  no 
Damascus  blade  of  polished  physical  fact  can  ever  win. 

The  consummate  spiritual  man  conceives  the  human 
world  as  no  accomplished  fact  or  concluded  tragedy, 
but  as  the  field  of  divine  operation,  where  the  ever- 
working,  inspiring  God  prefigures  in  human  souls  on 
earth  the  glory  and  power  of  that  life  and  society 
where  men  shall  receive  more  abundant  measures  of 
God's  eternal  spirit  All  the  activities  of  life  sooner  or 
later  follow  the  fortunes  of  the  mind.  The  friend  and 
teacher  of  men  must  have  some  insight  into  the 
supreme  motives  of  human  nature  and  of  those  powers 
of  reason,  imagination,  and  faith  that  cannot  rest  in 
the  known,  but  stream  into  the  unknown  as  the  early 
day-beams  stream  into  the  darkness  of  the  night.  He 
must  interpret  human  life  in  the  light  of  these.  He 
must  voice  them  in  his  own  personality,  and  in  the 
personality  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  as  the  supreme  figure 
and  expression  of  human  nature  in  its  divine  relations. 


2 1 2  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

ON  WAR 

WHILE  we  wait  this  great  fulfillment  [the  realization 
of  the  vision  of  universal  peace],  what  is  the  ground 
and  standing  of  war  in  the  providence  of  the  world  ? 
Has  it  a  place  in  the  progress  of  mankind,  or  any  part 
in  that  world-system  by  which  education  of  the  race 
has  been  carried  on  through  the  graduated  steps  of 
an  imperfect  morality?  Neither  the  moment  nor  the 
propriety  of  the  occasion  permit  the  discussion  of  so 
wide  and  profound  a  theme.  I  shall  be  happy,  indeed, 
if  to  your  awakened  minds  I  can  give  the  seed  and 
kernel  of  it.  Mankind  is  divided  into  individuals, 
families,  and  nations.  Each  of  these  is  a  moral  unit 
or  whole,  endowed  with  the  powers  and  passions  of 
humanity.  On  a  large  scale,  nations  make  the  grand 
divisions  of  the  human  world,  while  individuals  are 
smaller  parts  of  the  greater  whole.  The  individual  is  a 
moral  unit,  and  the  nation  is  a  moral  unit.  Therefore, 
disputes  may  arise  between  nations  and  between  indi- 
viduals. In  the  one  case  they  are  settled  by  law ;  in 
the  other  case,  they  are  settled  by  war.  Why  this 
striking  contrast?  Why  are  the  misunderstandings 
and  contradictions  of  individuals  settled  peacefully 
according  to  the  intelligence  and  reason  of  the  present, 
while  the  misunderstandings  and  contradictions  of 
nations  are  settled  by  methods  that  are  a  thousand 
years  back  in  a  barbarous  and  cruel  age  ? 

The  contrast  is  thus  striking  because  there  is  a  law 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       213 

for  individuals  while  there  is  no  law  for  nations.  The 
individual  submits  to  the  opinion  of  society :  he  must 
submit,  for  the  same  power  lies  sleeping  behind  a  court 
which  is  awake  and  abroad  in  war.  No  government  of 
nations  can  thus  compel  the  obedience  of  nations. 
Even  if  international  law  should  rise  to  such  a  height 
of  power  as  to  become  the  public  opinion  of  mankind, 
a  nation  that  refused  to  consent  to  that  opinion  could 
be  compelled  to  consent  only  by  war,  just  as  the  law 
can  be  executed  only  by  force  against  the  individual 
who  refuses  to  submit.  So  long  as  any  nation  refuses 
to  act  upon  any  other  sense  of  justice  than  its  own,  war 
is  not  an  accident  of  society,  but  something  rooted  in 
the  very  constitution  and  progress  of  the  world. 

This  is  a  dark  fact :  but  it  is  a  fact,  nevertheless,  and 
one  that  plays  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  history  of  the 
world.  However  we  may  deplore  it  and  look  forward 
heroically,  in  the  name  of  reason  and  of  God,  the 
inspirer  of  reason,  for  the  coming  of  the  millennial 
age,  this  is  the  condition  of  man  to-day. 

But  this  is  not  all  despair !  The  Almighty  Maker 
has  prepared  the  cloud  by  day  and  the  fire  by  night, 
the  eternal  ideals  that  lead  his  people  on.  War,  with  all 
its  terrible  features,  has  its  own  solemn  and  august  vir- 
tues. The  idea  of  the  soldier's  life  and  destiny  is  to  die 
for  the  good  of  others.  He  sinks  into  the  abyss  that 
the  nation,  with  all  its  peaceful  and  happy  homes,  its 
teeming  populations,  its  shining  capitols  of  law,  art, 
letters,  and  religion,  may  breathe  the  air  and  glance  in 


214  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

the  light  of  heaven.  He  is  the  instrument  of  ideas 
above  himself  that  bind  him  with  supreme  and  subtle 
force,  giving  a  background  of  moral  grandeur  to  the 
dark  perspective  of  grief  and  glory. 

There  is  something  worse  than  war :  it  is  the  misery 
of  having  nothing  worth  fighting  for. 

(Spoken  at  the  Chit-Chat  Club  dinner,  1887.) 

UNITARIANISM 

IN  these  declining  days  of  a  venerable  form  of  faith, 
when  many  things  are  remembered  that  were  once 
believed  by  the  true  and  the  good,  "but  remembered 
with  a  smile  as  belonging  to  the  past,"  it  has  been 
asked  if  we  Unitarians  have  any  further  duty  or  voca- 
tion. The  question  misconceives  the  nature  of  truth 
in  assuming  that  religion  is  a  settled  fact,  and  not  a 
moving  spirit ;  that  now  we  have  come  to  the  mount  of 
transfiguration  and  we  will  build  three  tabernacles 
and  appropriate  the  divine  glory  to  private  use.  It  is 
the  old  weakness  for  concluded  fact  before  the  spirit 
of  truth  has  come,  unmindful  that  the  ever-flowing 
fountains  of  religion  are  in  the  mountain  fastness  of 
Reason  and  the  Moral  Consciousness,  and  only  super- 
ficial and  short-breathed  powers  try  to  appropriate  it 
as  their  own.  It  misconceives  the  idea  of  our  time, 
inasmuch  as  it  forgets  that  there  is  no  longer  any  such 
thing  as  external  authority  in  religion,  and  that  the 
appeal  to  the  inner  convictions  of  the  soul  is  the  only 
divine  credential.  To  say  that  men  who  have  believed 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       215 

this  and  proclaimed  this,  have  now  no  vocation,  is 
simply  falling  back  into  the  old  rut  of  belief  that 
religion  is  once  more  finished  and  we  are  going  to  have 
an  easy  time ;  whereas  religion,  in  view  of  the  ever- 
increasing  complexity  of  life,  has  now  a  harder  task 
laid  on  it  than  ever  before.  To  give  spiritual  help  to 
men,  it  must  be  spiritual,  and  no  longer  think  to  win 
the  soul  by  storming  the  senses,  or  to  shirk  its  own 
responsibility  as  a  teacher  under  cover  of  a  textbook. 
If  any  man  thinks  that  Unitarianism  is  to  be  the 
formulated  faith  of  the  future,  he  knows  not  the  spirit 
that  he  is  of :  and  if,  in  this  time,  when  religion  must 
come  forth  and  ask  no  favors  of  the  world  or  men,  and 
seek  no  protection,  but  take  its  place  with  reason  and 
divine  philosophy,  any  man  asks  if  Unitarianism  has 
lost  its  vocation,  surely  the  spirit  of  truth  has  not 
come  to  him.  The  concluded  fact,  the  finished  truth, 
still  haunts  him,  and  no  glories  of  the  advancing  God. 
(National  Conference,  Saratoga,  1884.) 

Unitarianism  is  not  a  dogmatic  form  of  religion,  but  a 
way  of  thinking  that  corresponds  with  reason,  com- 
mon sense,  and  the  great  facts  of  man's  experience. 
The  protest  that  it  makes  against  dogmatic  Protes- 
tantism is  of  the  same  kind  as  that  which  Protestant- 
ism makes  against  dogmatic  Rome.  Unitarians  are 
a  small  body  among  the  sects  of  Christendom,  as 
Christendom  is  a  small  body  compared  with  the 
human  race,  but  Unitarianism,  as  a  way  of  thinking. 


2 1 6  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

has  an  influence  far  beyond  its  numbers.  Poetry  is 
imbued  with  it,  literature  bears  it  on  wings  of  power, 
and  science  proclaims  it.  The  late  Dean  Stanley  said 
that  he  did  not  hear  a  sermon  in  America  that  was  not 
imbued  with  the  spirit  of  Charming  and  Emerson. 
Religious  reform  is  the  slowest  of  all  to  move,  but  as 
sure  as  day  and  night  the  Christian  Religion  is  about 
to  be  placed  on  a  basis  of  reasonable  fact  —  physical, 
moral,  spiritual.  The  appeal  to  ignorance  and  fear, 
and  dread  of  mysterious  consequences,  will  give  place 
to  appeals  to  honor,  the  sense  of  justice,  the  latent 
affection  for  truth  and  goodness,  the  beauty  and  holi- 
ness of  God,  and  the  loveliness  and  wisdom  of  Jesus. 
Religion  will  drop  its  melancholy  and  austere  tones, 
and  commend  itself  by  its  sympathy  with  what  is 
hopeful,  joyous,  and  trusting,  and  be  guide,  cheerer, 
and  inspirer.  It  will  recover  its  half-lost  respect  for 
literature,  poetry,  and  art,  and  find  genius,  philosophy, 
and  science  its  true  allies.  Before  such  powers  major- 
ities are  nothing.  Those  who  think  the  thought  and 
hope  the  hope  of  mankind  hail  the  day-spring  from  on 
high  and  live  in  the  morning  of  the  world ;  and  man 
comes  of  a  nobler  spirit  as  he  learns  to  gauge  his  opin- 
ions and  his  actions  by  a  scale  commensurate  with 
his  nature.  The  world  is  young,  and  the  path  of 
humanity  is  wet  with  dew.  The  vision  is  plain,  that 
he  who  runs  may  read.  Though  it  tarry,  wait  for  it, 
because  it  surely  will  come ;  it  will  not  tarry. 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       217 

THE  OFFICE  AND  DUTY  OF  A  MINISTER 

THE  office  and  duty  of  a  Minister  is  to  unfold  the 
principles  of  moral  and  spiritual  truth,  to  awaken  the 
sentiments  and  affections  of  the  heart,  and  lift  up 
those  ideals  that  ever  draw  the  wondering  eyes  to  the 
mountain-tops  that  lie  between  this  and  a  hidden 
world.  Above  the  dust  and  grime  of  earth,  above  all 
wickedness,  he  must  be  in  love  with  man  and  men.  He 
must  understand  the  world,  yet  be  not  of  it.  He  must 
see  the  good,  the  beautiful,  the  true,  as  in  eternal  light : 

As  when  a  painter,  poring  on  a  face, 

Divinely  through  all  hindrance  finds  the  man 

Behind  it  and  so  paints,  his  face, 

The  shape  and  color  of  a  mind  and  life, 

Lives  for  his  children,  ever  at  its  best  and  fullest 

Thus  there  is  gladness  in  his  heart,  with  something 
of  the  patient  resignation  of  sorrow.  He  must  have 
sympathy  without  softness,  that  can  seize  any  oppor- 
tunity to  give  pleasure,  or  establish  peace  and  comfort 
in  a  troubled  mind,' or  soothe  a  penitent  heart  with 
healthy  pain.  The  more  he  is  a  man,  the  more  he  is  of 
God.  At  home  with  human  experience,  he  often  knows 
without  knowing,  and  is  wisest  when  not  wise  at  all. 
He  is  no  pietist  and  no  professor  of  religion  after  the 
style  of  the  professor's  chair,  as  if  religion  itself  were  a 
specialty.  He  is  man,  and,  through  conscience,  reason, 
and  imagination,  illumined  by  studies,  cherished  by 
prayers,  and  enriched  by  human  love,  he  ascends  by 


ai8  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

easy  steps  to  heights  of  spiritual  being,  where  the  light 
of  God  forever  dwells.  The  nature  of  moral  and  spirit- 
ual influences  is  silent  and  unseen,  yet  all  the  glory  of 
man's  estate  is  there,  and  the  kingdom  of  God  on 
earth  and  in  heaven  lies  folded  in  the  human  heart. 

A  minister,  first  of  all,  should  be  a  man  who  likes  this 
world,  believes  in  it  and  loves  it,  is  of  the  world,  and 
yet  above  it.  He  should  love  human  nature  —  believe 
in  it  and  hope  in  it.  In  short,  he  should  be  thoroughly 
human  in  all  his  thought  and  feeling.  He  should  have 
common  sense,  good  learning,  delight  in  literature,  a 
reverent  mind,  without  pietism  or  sentimentality,  and 
that  mysterious  power  that  has  never  been  defined, 
that  we  call  character,  which,  at  any  rate,  is  nothing 
more  than  alliance  with  God.  A  man  thus  equipped  is 
well  furnished  for  some  of  the  finest  and  most  enduring 
influences  of  human  life,  and  to  such  an  one  there  is 
something  in  life  that  gives  it  a  profound,  glad,  and 
solemn  joy  —  something  greater  than  happiness,  more 
sublime  than  pleasure,  strong  as  the  sun,  and  steady 
as  a  star.  A  man  who  is  equipped  with  reason,  intelli- 
gence, and  love,  without  which  intelligence  is  only 
moonlight,  observes  the  world  from  celestial  heights  of 
strength  and  light.  A  good  man  knows  the  world 
much  better  than  a  bad  man  can  know  it.  A  man's 
influence  with  his  fellow-men  depends,  in  the  long  run, 
on  the  powers  and  qualities  to  which  he  appeals ;  and 
while  he  does  not  ignore  tact,  skill,  or  wisdom,  his 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       219 

real  influence  that  is  worth  anything  depends  on  his 
appeal,  in  action,  life,  and  speech,  to  the  best  there  is 
in  men.  I  take  every  man  at  his  best.  I  would  awake 
his  noblest  powers.  I  would  think  of  him  at  his  best, 
and  I  have  found  that,  whenever  you  so  speak  or  act 
in  public  or  private  toward  a  man,  you  get  a  response; 
for  the  moment,  at  least,  he  is  a  better  man,  and  is 
awakened,  it  may  be  in  surprise  that  there  is  some- 
thing in  him  of  reason  and  love  that  had  slept  so  long. 
This  is  idealizing  the  real,  and  showing  how  our  human 
nature  may  be  swept  by  heavenly  breezes  as  the  trees 
of  the  wood  are  moved  by  the  wind.  I  have  found 
that  human  nature  in  its  great  leading  outlines  is  the 
same,  while  individuals  differ  as  the  leaves  of  the  trees 
or  the  flowers  of  the  field.  Every  man  must  take  him- 
self for  better  or  for  worse,  to  have  and  to  hold,  to  do 
the  best  with  himself  that  he  can.  I  recognize  and 
feel  the  unknown  good  there  is  in  the  world,  and  the 
supreme  summits  of  human  excellence  in  individual 
hearts.  I  know  as  much  of  human  wickedness  as  the 
heart  can  bear,  and  I  know  as  much  of  the  supreme 
heights  of  moral  and  spiritual  beauty.  To  these  heights 
I  ever  look  and  cheer  my  heart  with  celestial  visions. 

ON  EDUCATION 

THE  aim  of  education  should  be  those  powers  of  moral 
and  intellectual  nature  which  make  one  denizen  of  a 
universe  founded  in  intelligence  and  truth.  Man  can- 
not live  on  equal  terms  with  nature ;  high  aristocratic 


220  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

blood  flows  in  his  veins,  and  he  feels  that  he  was  born 
to  good  estate.  AF  he  beholds  the  signatures  of  intel- 
ligence and  law  in  the  universe  around  him,  and  feels 
the  motion  of  kindred  powers  within  him,  a  mysteri- 
ous unrest  possesses  him,  until  he  moves  in  the  realm 
of  those  powers  and  finds  his  home  above  nature  in 
the  kingdom  of  intellectual  life.  Education  is  the  ac- 
knowledgment of  this  resplendent  truth,  and  school 
and  college  and  university  stand  as  signals  that  man 
comes  to  his  manhood,  not  as  the  animal  comes  to  the 
complete  development  of  his  life,  but  by  culture  and 
receptivity. 

Education,  then,  is  putting  man  in  possession  of  his 
better  powers,  and  in  communion  with  humanity  and 
Providence.  What  ought  an  educated  man  to  know, 
to  think,  and  to  be?  These  are  the  three  terms  of  his 
existence  as  a  man,  and  without  these  he  has  no  proper 
life  as  a  man.  Knowing  may  be  said  to  be  the  power 
of  seizing  any  fact  or  thing,  denning  its  boundaries  and 
distinguishing  it  from  all  other  things  or  facts ;  hence  a 
man  does  not  know  anything  until  he  can  define  it,  or, 
rather,  anything  that  he  knows  he  can  define,  and  the 
common  sayings,  "I  know  but  cannot  tell,"  "I  have 
the  idea  but  cannot  express  it,"  are  loose  fallacies  of 
speech.  The  prime  importance  of  intellectual  acquire- 
ment is  that  a  man  may  distinguish  between  his  knowl- 
edge and  his  ignorance.  Inasmuch  as  all  knowledge  is 
not  within  his  grasp,  it  is  of  first  rate,  even  indispen- 
sable, importance,  that  he  should  have  a  chart  of  the 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       221 

unknown  regions  and  be  able  to  map  out  the  terra 
incognita  of  the  mind. 

The  days  of  universal  scholarship  are  gone,  never  to 
return.  Aristotle  may  be  supposed  to  have  known  all 
that  was  known  in  his  time;  but  the  times  have 
changed.  The  vast  incursions  of  science  and  philos- 
ophy into  the  world  of  matter  and  mind,  the  golden 
chain  of  literature  running  through  all  ages  and  fast- 
ened in  the  skies,  are  too  boundless  for  exploration 
within  the  limits  allotted  to  the  life  of  man  on  earth. 
The  field  is  so  wide,  of  such  varied  beauty  and  vast 
wealth,  that  every  man  is  compelled  to  some  specialty 
of  intellectual  vocation.  To  wish  to  be  a  universal 
scholar  at  the  present  day  is  equivalent  to  that  ambi- 
tious aspiration  for  universality  in  mechanism,  whose 
defeated  hopes  are  summed  up  in  the  old  adage,  "Jack 
at  all  trades,  good  for  none." 

Therefore,  an  educated  man  is  compelled  to  decide 
for  himself  what  he  will  know.  With  us  Americans 
that  question  is  practically  settled  by  vocation,  and, 
whatever  calling  a  man  may  choose  as  the  field  of  his 
active  powers,  let  him  know  the  central  things  of  his 
vocation  to  the  extent  to  which  they  are  known.  Let 
them  stand  clear  in  his  thought,  in  their  outline  and 
boundaries,  distinct  from  everything  else  in  heaven,  on 
earth,  or  in  the  water  under  the  earth.  No  man  is  an 
educated  man  who  has  not  brought  his  knowing  and 
discriminating  powers  to  this  tension.  It  not  only 
makes  him  master  in  his  chosen  vocation,  but  it  brings 


222  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

a  certain  tone  of  mind  which  is  test  of  everything,  a 
kind  of  common  sense  or  mother  wit  which  the  mind 
takes  on  when  it  is  put  in  hearty  rapport  with  truth. 
This  is  why  the  dryest  studies,  when  vanquished  to 
intelligence,  bud  and  blossom,  and  memory  and  imagi- 
nation dwell  forever.  Knowing  something,  and  know- 
ing it  to  the  bottom,  is  the  only  condition  of  salvation 
from  the  ill-ventilated  habitation  of  a  narrow  mind. 
Specializing  tends  to  narrow  thought  and  bigotry  of 
feeling,  unless  it  is  offset  by  strong  impressions  of  the 
unknown  regions  and  refreshed  by  winds  from  afar. 
The  man  that  knows  one  thing  can  never  be  superficial, 
though  he  must  have  superficial  knowledge.  That  one 
thing  holds  about  the  same  place  in  his  intellectual  life 
that  backbone  holds  in  character.  The  end  is  indwell- 
ing, salient  power,  which  is  at  home  on  its  wings.  An 
educated  man,  then,  ought  to  know  something  so 
thoroughly  that  its  boundaries  are  clear  in  his  mind  as 
the  rim  of  the  firmament,  and  at  one  sweep  of  his  eye 
to  take  in  the  limitations  of  his  own  knowledge  and 
distinguish  that  which  he  knows  from  that  which  he 
does  not  know.  Thus,  while  he  has  much  superficial 
knowledge,  he  is  not  a  superficial  man,  and  while  he  is 
compelled  to  a  specialty  of  thought  and  action,  he  will 
not  be  narrow-minded. 

What  ought  an  educated  man  to  think?  I  am  con- 
fronted at  the  outset  with  this  fact,  namely,  that  the 
exercise  of  some  of  the  greatest  powers  and  privileges 
of  humanity  is  a  matter  of  ability  not  less  than  of  duty 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       223 

and  right.  If  I  were  to  answer  the  question  in  view  of 
this  fact,  I  should  reply :  Every  educated  man  should 
think  as  much  as  he  can ;  that  is,  he  should  be  able  to 
set  himself  free  from  the  tumults  of  sect  or  party,  from 
passion,  prejudice,  and  public  opinion,  and  think  for 
himself  according  to  the  best  lights  he  can  find.  He 
should  have  courage  enough  not  to  fear  the  results  of 
such  thinking ;  he  should  believe  that,  whatever  it 
comes  to,  it  cannot  be  so  hurtful  as  dull  acquiescence 
in  what  is  commonly  accepted.  To  think  and  believe 
with  majorities,  to  accept  tradition  and  custom,  and 
imitate  society  and  the  world,  require  only  the  com- 
mon faculties  of  an  ape ;  and  the  ape  can  do  it  without 
spending  four  years  at  college. 

Young  men :  The  man  who  thinks  at  all  does  think- 
ing for  himself ;  nothing  else  deserves  the  name.  The 
man  who,  having  no  affinity  for  the  truth,  mistaking 
the  flame  of  a  zealot  for  the  eternal  light,  or  a  cloud  of 
prejudice  for  a  heavenly  signal,  who  knows  not  con- 
science from  self-will  and  goes  fumbling  through  the 
universe  to  make  out  a  foregone  conclusion,  is  the 
standing  reproach  of  education  as  he  is  also  of  human 
nature !  Whereas  the  man  whose  soul  is  in  love  with 
moral  beauty ;  who  sees  truth  as  a  thing  that  hath  its 
glory  in  itself,  and  cannot  be  touched ;  who  trusts  him- 
self in  the  simplicity  of  meekness  to  his  own  soul  and 
the  God  that  inspires  him,  and  feels  that  the  angels 
have  charge  over  him  lest  at  any  time  he  dash  his  foot 
against  a  stone ;  who  desires  only  to  stand  face  to  face 


HORATIO  STEBBINS 

with  what  is  and  knows  that  one  truth  cannot  con- 
tradict another;  who  is  so  full  of  courage  that  he 
knows  no  fear,  and  so  full  of  moral  and  intellectual 
love  that  fear  knows  not  him;  who  thinks  into  the 
open  space  of  truth  around  him  with  freedom  and  joy 
and  reverence ;  —  that  man  is  the  guide  and  hope  of 
men,  elect  and  precious,  king  and  priest  unto  God.  To 
such  freedom  and  courage,  truth  itself  invites  and 
inspires  us,  and  we  have  it  on  the  authority  of  him  who 
is  the  truth,  "If  the  truth  shall  make  you  free,  you 
shall  be  free  indeed." 

No  bar  the  spirit  world  hath  ever  borne  — 
It  is  thy  thought  is  shut,  thy  heart  is  dead : 
Up !  scholar,  bathe  unwearied  and  unworn 
Thine  earthly  breast  in  morning's  beams  of  red. 

What  ought  an  educated  man  to  be?  What  final 
result  should  come  to  pass  in  him?  I  reply  first  and 
midst  and  last :  He  should  be  more  and  more  a  man 
according  to  the  advantages  he  has  enjoyed  of  putting 
himself  in  communion  with  the  life  of  humanity.  The 
man  who  is  educated  has  simply  received  more  from 
the  life  of  the  world  than  other  men.  The  experience 
of  mankind,  as  expressed  in  literature,  history,  science, 
philosophy,  has  been  tributary  to  him;  he  has  re- 
ceived more  of  the  life  of  humanity,  and  surely  he 
ought  to  be  more  human,  as  the  prime  result  of  his 
privilege.  He  ought  to  be  five  men  in  the  delicacy  of 
his  perceptions  and  in  the  breadth  of  his  sympathies. 
Instead  of  taking  advantage  of  his  fellow-men  by  the 


SAYINGS  AND  EXTRACTS       225 

superiority  of  his  attainments,  he  ought  to  be  all  the 
more  their  minister  and  benefactor.  Instead  of  boast- 
ing that  he  is  of  the  people  and  has  risen  by  force  of 
his  own  faculty,  it  should  be  his  pride  and  joy  that  he 
is  not  merely  of  the  people,  but  that  he  is  for  the 
people  —  not  their  flatterer,  not  their  cajoler,  but 
their  believing  counselor  and  friend,  who  will  always 
be  true  to  himself  and  true  to  them.  The  educated 
man  should  be  as  much  more  a  man  than  other  men  as 
he  has  been  receptive  of  the  life  of  mankind.  If  his 
education  does  not  augment  all  his  human  powers,  for 
what  cause  has  his  education  been?  Let  him  be  care- 
ful how  he  diverts  from  this  augmented  manhood  in 
any  of  the  petty  channels  of  immediate  influence.  Let 
him  beware  how  he  runs  into  any  specialty  of  thought 
or  action ;  let  him  pursue  his  vocation ;  let  him  do  what 
is  required  to  be  done,  but,  whatever  he  is  and  what- 
ever he  does,  let  him  be  and  do  with  the  whole  breadth 
of  his  human  nature,  however  office  or  the  conven- 
tionalisms of  society  may  support  his  abilities  or  aug- 
ment his  influence.  Office  can  do  something  to  increase 
his  authority  for  good ;  position  may  give  him  vantage- 
ground  of  power,  but  his  chief  reliance  must  be  that  he 
is  a  man  among  men.  Whatever  he  is  in  particular, 
his  manhood  should  be  greater  than  that  particular. 
He  must  be  something  more  than  all  he  knows  or 
thinks  or  does.  There  must  be  an  ever-increasing 
momentum  of  life  and  conscious  being  in  him.  Let 
him  not  think  to  find  any  goal  in  which  to  rest.  Let 


226  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

him  not  be  politician,  lawyer,  preacher,  engineer, 
philanthropist,  temperance  man,  or  abolitionist;  let 
him  not  be  Freemason,  Oddfellow,  or  church  member, 
but  while  he  acts  and  thinks  in  these,  let  him  be 
greater  than  them  all.  Although  a  man  may  stand  on 
the  balances  with  the  weights  in  his  pocket,  there  is  a 
notch  hi  which  he  goes,  and  his  true  avoirdupois,  no 
more  and  no  less,  is  hi  his  manhood.  When  you  have 
told  a  man  to  be  a  man,  can  you  add  anything  to  that 
counsel  ?  Are  not  all  the  powers  of  the  universe  tribu- 
tary to  that  ?  Were  they  not  made  and  inspired,  even 
unto  this  end  ? 

(From  "Why  Do  We  Cherish  the  University?"  1868.) 


CHAPTER  X 

PRAYERS 

[THE  prayers  of  Horatio  Stebbins  were  uttered  with 
unquestioned  sincerity  and  earnestness  from  the 
depths  of  a  loving,  reverent  heart.  Prayer  was  not  a 
prescribed  form,  but  the  outflowing  of  his  inmost  soul 
in  communion  with  the  All-Father.  In  1889  his  son 
Roderick,  without  Dr.  Stebbins's  knowledge,  engaged 
a  stenographic  reporter,  who  sent  him,  for  nearly  a 
year,  reports  of  the  prayers  of  the  Sunday  services. 
After  Dr.  Stebbins's  death,  they  were  published  as  a 
precious  memorial  of  his  ministry.  The  fire  of  1906 
destroyed  a  large  part  of  the  edition  and  put  the  book 
out  of  print.  A  few  of  the  prayers  are  therefore  in- 
cluded in  this  volume.] 

O  Infinite  and  Holy  One,  Almighty  Providence  of 
our  lives,  inspirer  of  our  souls,  the  beginning  of  reason 
and  the  end  of  faith,  we  implore  thee  now  by  thy 
gracious  spirit  to  come  nigh  unto  thine  own,  and  lead 
forth  thy  flock  in  green  pastures  beside  the  still  waters 
of  divine  grace.  "We  were  glad  when  our  companions 
said  to  us,  Let  us  go  up  into  the  house  of  the  Lord." 
We  are  come  in  the  gentle  light  of  day ;  the  sun  shines 
bright  and  fair ;  our  lives  are  blessed  and  our  hearts 
are  inspired  by  thy  gracious  spirit.  We  come  as  we  are, 


228  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

with  all  our  earthly  burdens ;  we  come  as  we  are,  with 
all  our  earthly  joys,  with  all  the  hopes  that  thy  spirit 
has  kindled  in  our  breasts,  thou  knowing  us  better 
than  we  know  ourselves  —  our  inward  thoughts,  our 
veriest  purpose,  our  desires,  our  pain,  our  will,  all 
known  to  thee.  Pity  our  weakness;  enlighten  our 
darkness;  confirm  our  feeble  strength  by  thy  own 
might ;  and  let  thy  children  rise  up  and  sit  down  and 
lift  up  their  voices  in  gracious  benediction  and  praise 
and  blessing  to  thee,  our  God. 

O  Holy  One,  Infinite  Father,  we  invoke  thy  blessing 
on  us  always.  Renew  in  our  hearts  our  sense  of  depend- 
ence on  thee,  our  sense  of  filial  trust  in  thee.  Conse- 
crate unto  us  all  our  experience ;  what  is  dark  do  thou 
illume  in  thy  time ;  what  is  a  deep  trial,  or  pain,  or 
anguish  of  any  sort,  do  thou  relieve  and  assuage ;  and 
gently  bless  with  tender  and  holy  consolations  and 
reverent  feelings  of  how  little  we  know  of  thy  ways, 
the  mystery  of  thy  providences,  the  teachings  and 
the  wonders  of  thy  grace. 

Almighty  God,  we  thank  thee  for  our  daily  affairs ; 
for  our  constant  occupations ;  for  that  which  we  find 
within  our  own  dwellings,  and  in  the  world  of  men  to 
occupy  our  minds,  our  hearts,  and  our  hands.  Give 
prosperity  to  our  honorable  industry,  to  our  intelli- 
gent service ;  and  in  doing  good,  in  walking  humbly, 
and  in  loving  mercy,  may  we  find  the  abundant 
reward  and  peace  of  thy  divine  kingdom. 

Almighty  God,  our  Father,  we  would  fix  our  minds 


PRAYERS  229 

and  thoughts  on  thee  now.  We  would  think  what  thou 
art  in  thine  ineffable  beauty  and  perfectness ;  and  we 
would  feel  that  thou  hast  inspired  us  with  a  nature 
kindred  to  thine  own,  and  called  us  to  the  great  calling 
to  be  sons  of  God.  May  our  minds  be  inspired  and 
filled  with  reverence  and  devout  feeling  and  holy  pur- 
pose of  obedience  and  trust  in  thee ;  and  as  we  stand 
upon  the  great  eminence  —  the  great  eminence  of  our 
Mount  Zion,  the  city  of  our  God  —  and  look  abroad 
over  all  the  earthly  scene  of  our  experience, —  its 
mystery,  its  trial,  its  abundant  salvation,  its  kindness, 
its  times  of  distress, — may  we  see  in  it  all  and  through 
all  a  wondrous  leading,  a  divine  hand,  a  holy  and  pro- 
tecting care. 

Let  thy  blessing,  Holy  Father,  be  upon  all  to-day,  as 
wide  as  the  beams  of  the  sun.  Let  thy  gracious  bene- 
diction be  shed  abroad.  Guide  with  thy  strong  and 
merciful  hand ;  keep  by  thy  pure  spirit ;  and  save  all  by 
thy  eternal  grace.  Hear  our  prayer ;  forgive  our  sins, 
and  remove  them  from  us  as  far  as  east  is  from  the 
west.  As  our  earthly  experience  increases,  may  that 
experience  stretch  over  into  unknown  worlds,  into 
untried  scenes ;  and  may  divine  wonder  and  curiosity 
enamour  our  hearts  of  what  God  has  yet  to  reveal  to 
his  children.  Amen. 

The  day  is  bright  and  fair,  the  world  is  filled  with  the 
glory  of  the  sun ;  thy  spirit,  O  God,  goes  forth  inspiring 
the  hearts  of  all  thy  children,  and  we  come,  beckoned 


230  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

by  divine  signals,  led  on  by  holy  hands,  with  our  feel- 
ings drawn  toward  thee,  to  our  place  of  prayer.  Come 
to  thy  people  as  thou  ever  dost  and  hast  done  from  all 
time ;  come  to  us  as  to  thy  own,  and  give  thy  people 
peace.  Forgive  our  sins ;  subdue  our  minds  to  patience, 
to  penitence,  to  prayer;  lift  up  our  hearts  in  holy 
gratitude  with  exultation  of  soul  and  bowing  down  and 
worship,  and  rising  up  before  thee  with  awe  and  glad- 
ness and  terrible  reverence  and  comfort  at  thy  good- 
ness, by  thee  manifested  to  thy  children. 

We  always  thank  thee,  Almighty  One ;  we  always 
bless  thee,  thou  infinite  and  eternal  God;  and  with 
holy  patience  and  penitence  and  prayer  we  lift  up 
our  hearts  to  thee  now.  Let  thy  benediction  be  upon 
the  homes  we  have  left  for  an  hour  to  come  to  this, 
our  house  of  God.  Consecrate  them,  consecrate  this. 
Wherever  our  thoughts,  flying  on  wings  of  imagina- 
tion and  love,  rest  down  upon  those  whom  we  would 
bless  with  thy  blessing,  there  let  thy  love  go  inspiring, 
and  thy  almighty  hand  sustaining,  comforting,  and 
supporting.  Let  thy  tender  benediction  be  upon  all 
thy  suffering  ones.  Deal  kindly  with  the  wretched, 
the  poor,  the  weak,  the  wicked,  the  wise,  the  good,  the 
true.  Thou  knowest,  Almighty  One,  our  wants ;  thou 
knowest  and  thou  canst  supply  them  by  thy  spirit 
and  by  thy  grace  and  thy  power.  Subdue  our  hearts 
to  thee.  Teach  us  wisdom  by  thy  divine  grace  and 
spirit.  Lead  us  in  plain  paths  of  duty  and  consecrate 
to  our  minds  and  hearts  our  daily  work.  As  we  go 


PRAYERS  231 

forth  at  any  hour  of  the  day,  in  the  morning,  at  mid- 
day or  evening,  may  the  rising  of  a  new  life,  the  satis- 
faction of  midday  strength,  the  tender  thoughts  of  the 
evening  glories,  fill  our  hearts  with  the  divine  presence 
and  holy  companionship  of  God  in  heaven.  Amen. 

Holy  Father,  Almighty  One,  hear  the  prayers  of  thy 
children  now,  and  come  to  thine  own  with  blessing  and 
peace.  We  reverence  thee  and  bow  down  in  awe  and 
holy  fear;  we  lift  up  our  voice  in  devout  song  and 
praise  and  prayer.  Pity  our  weakness,  help  our  igno- 
rance, heal  our  doubts  and  our  wounds  of  mind  and 
heart,  and  give  thy  people  everlasting  peace  and  trust 
and  comfort  and  love.  If  any  of  thy  people  are  in 
heavy  trial,  if  they  are  alone  in  Gethsemane,  be  with 
them  there  with  thy  power  and  spirit,  and  lif t  them  up 
and  save  them  forever  and  ever ;  and  if  the  cup  may 
not  pass  from  them,  may  they  be  enabled  to  say  from 
hearts  enriched  by  obedience  and  faith,  "Not  my  will 
but  thine  be  done." 

We  rejoice,  Almighty  God,  in  the  themes  of  thy 
eternal  truth,  that  truth  which  thou  hast  set  in  the 
nature  of  man,  in  the  world  around  us,  in  the  work  of 
thy  hands ;  and  hast  illustrated  by  the  lives  of  prophets 
and  martyrs  and  saints,  and  by  thy  Son  Jesus  Christ. 
We  thank  thee  that  that  truth,  rising  upon  the  world, 
never  sets ;  that  it  knows  no  eclipse  of  its  increasing 
glory,  but  stands  higher  and  higher  until  its  beams  shall 
illumine  the  whole  world. 


23  2  HORATICVSTEBBINS 

Confer  upon  us,  O  thou  Almighty  Spirit,  the  spirit 
of  truth,  the  love  of  what  is,  the  joy  of  thy  command- 
ments, the  beauty  of  thy  love,  and  let  us  in  our  daily 
lives,  with  simplicity  of  heart  and  purity  of  thought, 
seek  to  know  thee,  to  know  our  own  being,  our  inmost 
purpose ;  and  may  our  thoughts  and  purpose  be  alike 
consecrated  to  thee. 

Let  thy  blessing  be  hi  every  heart  of  man ;  let  it  be 
in  every  human  dwelling,  resting  down  in  holy  peace 
upon  little  children,  upon  youth,  upon  mature  man- 
hood, and  upon  the  aged  in  years,  and  let  all  thy 
children  be  blessed  in  thee,  their  Father  in  heaven. 
Amen. 

O  God,  our  Father,  Infinite  and  Holy  One,  thou  whose 
word  is  spoken  in  all  places  of  thy  dominion  and  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  world;  thou  whose  law  goes 
forth  to  hold  the  worlds  in  their  places  and  in  whose 
hand  the  ocean  rolls ;  thou  hast  proclaimed  thy  word 
and  thy  truth  to  the  children  of  men ;  thou  hast  set 
thy  Son  Jesus  Christ  to  confirm  that  word,  to  estab- 
lish and  to  keep  it  forever  and  ever. 

We  adore  thy  greatness ;  we  bow  in  humble  rever- 
ence before  it,  and  we  lean  with  filial  trust  upon  thy 
paternal  arm.  Owning  the  presence  of  thy  inspiring 
spirit  in  all  those  great  sentiments  of  the  human  heart 
which  have  struggled  on  in  the  darkest  periods  of 
man's  trial  and  ignorance  and  sin,  we  thank  thee  that 
somehow  through  the  wicket  gate  of  death  we  see  a 


PRAYERS  233 

heavenly  light.  We  thank  thee,  owning  the  influence 
of  thy  everlasting  spirit,  for  that  faith  by  which  thine 
humble  children  are  gone  up  from  earth  as  the  sea 
ascends  in  mists.  They  have  gone  up  with  humble 
hope,  with  humble  trust,  that  somewhere  and  some- 
how they  would  be  nearer  thee,  their  Maker,  and  feel 
thy  paternal  arm.  In  times  of  darkness  and  ignorance 
and  sin  we  thank  thee  that  this  great  hope  has  strug- 
gled on  in  the  human  soul. 

We  thank  thee,  Almighty  One,  in  the  name  of  thy 
Son  Jesus  Christ,  that  thou  hast  confirmed  the  heart 
of  man  and  strengthened  his  hope  and  comforted  his 
spirit ;  that  thou  hast  given  to  him  thy  Son  to  abolish 
death,  to  bring  life  and  immortality  to  light  through 
his  gospel  and  to  establish  thy  eternal  kingdom  and 
that  infinite  communion  of  earth  and  heaven.  Let 
this  spirit  and  this  faith  be  upon  all  thy  people  to-day, 
on  every  land  and  dime  and  race  and  tongue ;  and  in 
whatever  humble  ways  men  worship  thee,  O  God, 
hear  their  prayers,  strengthen  their  hearts,  confirm 
their  hopes,  and  lead  them  forth  to  everlasting  life. 

We  ask  thy  blessing  upon  us  now,  and  receive,  we 
pray  thee,  our  humble  prayers,  our  penitent  confes- 
sions ;  and  lift  up  thy  people  forever  and  ever.  Let  the 
blessing  of  the  truth  of  the  gospel  of  thy  Son  be  in  all 
our  dwellings.  Let  it  be  in  all  our  hearts,  blessing, 
consoling,  lifting  up,  and  comforting  amidst  trials  or 
perplexities  or  joy  or  gladness,  forever  and  ever. 
Amen. 


234  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

Again  we  come  in  the  evening  hour  to  this  our  place  of 
prayer.  Again  we  lift  up  our  heart  and  voice  to  thee 
and  commend  ourselves  and  all  those  who  are  dear 
to  us  to  thy  holy  providence,  thy  paternal  and  ever 
friendly  care. 

The  pleasant  day  is  gone.  Evening  shadows  are 
falling  around  the  dwellings  of  man,  and  thy  care  and 
thy  watching  are  over  all.  We  adore  thy  providence ; 
we  wonder  at  thy  works,  the  marvelous  works  thou 
art  doing  and  hast  been  doing  from  when  time  began 
until  now ;  and  the  experience  of  human  life,  renewed 
in  the  hearts  of  every  generation,  repeated  in  our 
hearts  and  lives,  the  leading  of  thy  providence,  the 
monitions  of  thy  spirit,  the  direction  of  thy  will  —  all 
these  fill  our  hearts  with  a  revering  adoration,  and  we 
look  forward  and  around  us,  and  upward,  and  we  gain 
new  and  divine  suggestions  and  hints  of  our  being  and 
our  destiny. 

We  thank  thee  for  all  the  records  of  thy  providence 
in  the  world  of  men,  for  the  testimony  which  the  great 
and  the  good,  the  illustrious  exemplars  of  mankind 
give  of  their  confidence  and  their  trust  when  guided 
by  thy  almighty  hand.  We  thank  thee  for  the  story 
of  the  childhood  of  man ;  for  thy  care  of  him,  for  thy 
watching  over  him,  for  the  adaptation  of  thy  teaching 
to  his  mind  and  heart,  and  for  thy  guidance  by  thy 
spirit  and  thy  Son. 

Let  a  reverent  mind,  we  pray  thee,  let  a  devout 
temper  and  disposition,  penetrate  our  hearts.  Dismiss 


PRAYERS  235 

from  our  minds  all  conceit  of  knowledge.  Now  may 
reason  and  faith  and  affection,  pure  feeling  and  pure 
thoughts,  guide  us,  inspire  us,  and  keep  us  in  perfect 
peace. 

Almighty  God,  we  ask  thy  blessing  upon  all  those 
whom  we  think  of  when  we  think  of  the  human  ties 
that  bind  us ;  we  remember  our  fathers  and  mothers 
and  brothers  and  sisters  and  neighbors  and  friends  of 
to-day.  For  every  feature  of  human  life  and  experience, 
for  every  joy  and  grace,  for  every  pain  we  bear,  we 
give  thee  revering  gratitude,  and  we  invoke  on  us 
daily  thine  eternal  good-will. 

Let  thy  blessing  be  upon  every  human  dwelling,  on 
every  human  heart;  chastise,  reprove,  lead  by  thy 
hand,  lift  up,  restore,  and  strengthen,  and  let  all  thy 
children  be  blessed  in  thee.  Amen. 


CHAPTER  XI  * 
THAT  WHICH  REMAINETH 

A  CONFERENCE  SERMON 

See  that  ye  refuse  not  him  that  speaketh . . .  whose  voice  then 
shook  the  earth:  but  now  he  hath  promised,  saying,  Yet  once  more 
I  shake  not  the  earth  only,  but  also  heaven.  And  this  word,  Yet  once 
more,  signifieth  the  removing  of  those  things  that  are  shaken . . . 
that  those  things  which  cannot  be  shaken  may  remain.  (Hebrews  12: 
25,  26,  27.) 

THE  style  of  Asiatic  grandeur  in  which  things  moral 
and  spiritual  are  set  forth  in  the  New  Testament 
requires  to  be  toned  down  a  little  to  meet  the  severer 
and  more  logical  mind  of  the  modern  time.  The  Orien- 
tal mind  is  huge,  and  is  fond  of  cloudy  magnificence, 
gigantic  splendors,  and  world-on-fire  catastrophes. 
Nature  is  awful  and  overwhelming  in  Asia,  and  a  great 
writer  has  said  that  if  Europe  had  been  projected  on 
the  scale  of  terribleness  of  the  Whang  Ho  or  the  Hindu 
Kush,  the  modern  civilization  could  not  have  been. 
However  that  may  be,  Asia,  the  homestead  of  man- 
kind, was  fit  place  for  the  childhood  of  humanity, 
and  the  birthplace  of  religions. 

1Few  sermons  or  addresses  of  Dr.  Stebbins  have  ever  appeared  in 
print.  He  steadfastly  refused  to  allow  the  publication  of  a  volume, 
and  only  occasionally  yielded  to  request  that  a  sermon  should  be 
published.  The  sermon  of  the  Saratoga  Convention  in  1884  has 
been  widely  read,  and  several  addresses  printed  by  the  Charming 
Auxiliary  are  treasured  by  their  owners.  Restricted  to  the  choice  of 
sermons  already  printed,  I  take  one  that  was  preached  at  the  dedica- 
tion of  the  Unitarian  Church  in  Berkeley,  California,  November  20, 
1898. 


THAT  WHICH  REMAINETH     237 

The  mountainous  and  smoky  style  of  the  writer 
that  I  have  quoted  would  have  been  modified  by  a 
kind  of  human  common  sense  if  he  had  been  a  delegate 
to  the  Pan-Anglican  Convention  or  the  Methodist 
Conference  of  the  modern  time.  He  would  have  said, 
"Many  things  that  once  seemed  firm  have  passed 
away,  and  they  have  passed  away  that  the  eternal 
things  may  abide  unshaken." 

On  an  occasion  like  this,  gathered  as  we  are  to  take 
grateful  and  reverent  note  of  the  completion  of  a 
simple  building  devoted  to  worship,  prayer,  and  teach- 
ing, it  is  becoming  in  us,  amid  the  shifting  scenery  of 
religious  thought,  which  to  some  minds  is  cause  of 
doubt  and  alarm,  but  to  others  the  dawn  of  a  new  day, 
to  consider  what  has  been  shaken,  and  what  remains 
unshaken.  I  invoke  the  aid  of  that  Almighty  Spirit 
that  giveth  us  understanding  that  I  may  inquire  with 
reverence  and  love  concerning  the  deep  things  of  God 
revealed  in  the  history  of  humanity.  I  will  unfold  no 
panoramic  scene  or  world-view,  but  be  content  if  I 
may  flash  a  light  here  and  there  along  the  horizon  that 
overflows  the  urns  of  eternal  splendor. 

I  suppose  there  is  no  danger  that  man  will  ever  lose 
sight  of  God,  that  Almighty  Being  whose  power  gives 
law  to  suns  and  stars,  and  whose  spirit  in  man  reveals 
the  awful  glories  of  right  and  wrong.  The  only  change 
there  can  be  is  in  man's  idea  of  him.  That  there  have 
been  great  changes  there  can  be  no  doubt,  from  age  to 
age,  and  from  generation  to  generation.  Many  things 


23  8  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

that  were  thought  to  be  permanent  have  proved  to  be 
transient,  as  man  ha  s  been  educated  by  the  graduated 
steps  of  an  imperfect  morality.  The  idea,  the  thought 
that  men  have  of  God,  depends  on  the  time,  the  age, 
and  I  might  add,  on  the  temperament  of  men.  Abra- 
ham and  Isaiah,  David  and  Whittier!  Wesley  said 
that  Whitfield's  God  was  his  devil !  But  amid  all  this 
change  and  passing  away,  the  idea  of  God  remains  an 
everlasting  possession  to  the  mind  and  heart  of  man. 
Hawthorne  says,  "The  reason  why  the  mass  of  men 
fear  God,  and  at  bottom  dislike  him,  is  because  they 
distrust  his  heart."  The  great  change  that  has  come  is 
that  humanity  and  divinity  are  the  same  in  quality, 
differing  only  in  degree.  The  great  transformation  is 
the  spiritual  humanizationof  God,  the  idea  that  reason, 
conscience,  affection  in  us  are  the  true  interpreters  of 
him,  and  that  the  smallest  particle  of  truth,  or  right, 
or  love  here  on  earth,  is  of  the  same  nature  with  the 
eternal  reason  and  the  eternal  love.  A  God  whom  we 
suspect  of  being  ill-tempered  and  self-willed  is  no  God, 
only  an  idol,  a  bad  imagination  of  ignorance  and  pas- 
sion. If  we  attribute  to  him,  or  allow  to  be  attributed 
to  him,  characteristics  unworthy  of  man,  character- 
istics that  are  incompatible  with  reason  and  love, 
our  belief  is  only  the  belief  of  a  Samson  bully,  and  not 
the  belief  of  the  sons  of  God.  The  idea  of  God  perma- 
nantly  survives,  and  the  being  that  we  can  per- 
manently worship  is  a  God  of  love,  the  most  sublime 
conception  of  which  the  mind  and  heart  of  man  are 


THAT  WHICH  REMAINETH     239 

capable.  And  when  we  say  that  God  is  love,  we  know 
what  we  mean.  It  is  the  best  of  all  that  can  be  ex- 
pressed in  action  or  character.  It  flings  a  heavenly 
glory  on  every  human  sense,  and,  like  the  angel  in 
Abou  Ben  Adhem's  dream,  fills  the  dusty  corners  of 
our  earthly  dwelling  with  celestial  light.  We  have  our 
true  life  only  in  love.  Call  to  mind  those  who  have 
had  the  sweetest  influences  —  they  are  those  whose 
presence  shone  on  you  as  a  light  not  on  sea  or  land,  and 
warmed  your  heart  to  surprising  powers  of  excellence 
and  beauty,  and  you  wished  that  you  were  altogether 
as  they,  who  filled  the  simplest  word  or  deed  with 
eternal  kindness.  For  this,  science,  learning,  wit,  and 
wisdom  uncover  their  heads  and  stand  in  holy  awe. 
Around  this  the  universe  of  worlds  and  souls  revolves, 
God-centered  in  eternal  hope.  Let  all  things  else  be 
shaken,  this  that  cannot  be  shaken  remains. 

There  is  a  book  that  is  reverently  regarded  as  the 
special  repository  and  record  of  God's  word  and  provi- 
dence, through  the  ages  of  his  care  for  human-kind. 
It  is  a  book  made  of  many  books  bound  in  one,  to 
unite  and  unify  the  divine  teaching  from  age  to  age. 
Written  by  different  men  at  different  times,  widely 
separated,  it  seems  a  kind  of  autobiography  of  human 
nature  jotted  down  in  happy  moments,  of  personal 
experience  in  all  the  simplicity  of  personal  conscious- 
ness. The  first  wondering  impressions  of  the  newcomer 
just  arrived  on  this  earth;  the  hardened  heart  and 
daring  crimes  of  the  long  resident  here,  forgetting  that 


240  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

the  world  was  not  his,  and  he  only  a  tenant  at  will ;  the 
recalled  and  penitent  spirit  awakened  by  the  voice  of 
Christ,  when  to  the  world,  dead  in  custom,  he  brought 
back  the  Irving  presence  of  God,  and  to  the  first  rever- 
ence added  love.  All  this,  and  more,  is  written  there, 
in  happy  moments  of  inspiration  such  as  have  fallen 
upon  the  ensamples  and  leaders  of  our  race  during  the 
lapse  of  centuries.  The  land  and  country  of  the  book 
is  a  well-chosen  spot,  a  kind  of  watch-tower,  from 
which  men  can  overlook  the  history  of  the  world.  A 
bit  of  mountainous  land  in  the  southwest  corner  of 
Asia,  across  which  merchants,  shepherds,  and  Arabs 
guided  their  caravans,  pitched  their  tents,  or  hid  in 
mountain  dens.  India,  Babylon,  Jerusalem,  Egypt, 
all  are  spread  out  beneath  the  imagination  of  one  who 
would  see  the  panorama  moved  by  the  finger  of  Provi- 
dence. 

This  book  has  taken  such  a  hold  on  a  portion  of  the 
human  race  as  no  other  book  has  ever  done.  All  the 
best  books  of  Christendom  are  born  of  the  thoughts 
and  ideas  of  this  book,  coming  from  a  nation  despised 
in  ancient  and  modern  times.  It  is  read  at  the  hour  or 
day  in  millions  of  places  on  the  earth,  and  a  hundred 
times  a  year  in  each  place.  It  is  a  presence,  and  when 
men  unaccustomed  read  or  hear  it  read,  they  wonder 
as  the  patriarch  did  when  he  awoke  from  his  stony 
pillow  and  exclaimed,  "God  was  in  this  place  and  I 
knew  it  not."  The  book  tells  of  God  and  his  Son. 

A  book  that  has  such  influence  over  men  ought  to  be 


THAT  WHICH  REMAINETH     241 

regarded  reverently  and  carefully.  We  ought  to  expect 
something  from  it  as  we  do  from  Shakespeare  and  Mil- 
ton. We  read  them  expecting  to  find  great  things ;  and 
the  Bible  read  so  would  reveal  great  universal  testi- 
mony of  things  human  and  divine.  It  is  a  kind  of 
natural  inheritance  into  which  we  are  born. 

But  while  this  state  of  mind  is  proper,  legitimate, 
indispensable,  indeed,  to  a  just  appreciation  of  the 
Bible,  it  is  not  a  complete  opinion.  We  must  apply 
our  intelligence  and  reason  to  these  writings  as  we 
would  to  all  great  writings.  They  are  the  work  of  dif- 
ferent minds  through  a  period  of  a  thousand  years. 
Nothing  human  is  infallible.  Infallibility  belongs  only 
to  the  Infinite  mind  that  moves  in  the  rhythm  of 
Almighty  power  and  love.  The  same  liberal  studies 
that  unfold  the  meaning  of  all  history  must  be  be- 
stowed upon  the  Bible.  When  Niebuhr's  history  of 
Rome  appeared,  Arnold  of  Rugby  said  that,  when 
studies  like  Niebuhr's  were  directed  to  the  Bible,  we 
should  understand  it  much  better.  I  cannot  touch  the 
question  of  inspiration  —  that  is  a  theme  by  itself. 
The  Bible,  when  liberal  studies  have  done  their  work, 
will  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  providential  records  of 
the  education  of  the  race.  It  is  the  book  of  human 
nature  from  childhood  to  maturity.  Myth,  fable, 
parable,  and  miracle  are  there,  and  the  speech  of 
humanity  in  its  loftiest  moods  of  virtue  and  prayer. 
The  natural  history  of  the  soul  is  there  written  for  all 
mankind.  It  justifies  itself  to  the  mind  of  a  child,  and 


242  HORATIO  StEBBINS 

to  the  conscience  of  a  man.  It  tells  stories  of  childhood 
wonders  and  utters  truth  profound  as  human  nature 
and  perpetual  as  time. 

The  Bible  is  not  an  infallible  book.  Some,  thinking 
so,  have  taken  the  book  instead  of  God.  It  is  history, 
literature,  law,  and  religion.  It  is  to  be  read,  studied, 
and  reasoned  about  so.  There  is  much  in  it  from  which 
we  gain  little,  there  is  much  in  it  from  which  all 
things  of  eternal  worth  may  be  won.  There  is  much  in 
it  that  is  not  true,  but  truth  burns  there  unconsumed 
from  age  to  age.  Historic  truth  is  not  the  only  truth ; 
a  fact  that  is  not  historically  true  may  yet  be  true 
on  a  higher  plane  than  that  of  history ;  true  to  eter- 
nal reason,  to  moral  and  religious  sentiment  —  and 
human  need.  A  fact  means  nothing  until  it  is  pene- 
trated with  thought,  and  transmuted  from  gross  sub- 
stance into  idea.  The  story  of  Belshazzar's  feast  may 
not  be  history,  but  the  idea  of  fallen  greatness  is  an 
eternal  admonition  to  all  the  votaries  of  pride  and 
power,  as  Shakespeare  puts  it  in  the  mouth  of  Wolsey 
in  the  modern  time : 

Had  I  but  served  my  God  with  half  the  zeal 
I  served  my  king,  he  would  not  in  mine  age 
Have  left  me  naked  to  mine  enemies. 

The  story  of  Christ's  temptation,  the  scientific 
critics  tell  us,  is  not  literal  historic  fact.  Let  it  be  so. 
The  story  is  none  the  less  true,  but  a  great  deal  more 
so,  when  the  narrative  which  embodies  the  inner  truth 
and  experience  of  a  human  soul  is  conceived  as  myth 


THAT  WHICH  REMAINETH     343 

than  when  understood  as  matter-of-fact  history.  The 
idea  of  the  myth,  the  terrible  idea  that  God  has  placed 
us  here  in  the  midst  of  temptation,  from  which  the  Son 
of  Man  was  not  exempt ;  that  is  the  truth  which  con- 
cerns us  far  more  than  the  rude  outline  of  devilish  wit 
sitting  on  the  pinnacle  of  the  temple  or  climbing  a 
mountain  with  nothing  to  eat.  Idea  is  what  illumines 
the  mind,  not  fact  recorded  in  the  mythopeic  age. 
Again,  the  story  of  Jesus  and  the  fig  tree.  That  has  no 
idea,  and  was  probably  put  there  by  some  interliner. 
We  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  it  is  not  true  that 
Jesus  was  angry  at  a  fig  tree  because  it  had  no  fruit  — 
and  that  out  of  season.  If  we  know  anything  in  the 
light  of  truth  and  reason,  we  know  that  this  could  not 
be  true  of  Jesus.  Thus  we  study  reverently,  enlight- 
ened by  beams  of  eternal  light,  and  follow  the  track 
of  truth  through  centuries,  as  moonbeams  on  mid- 
night waters.  Let  liberal  studies,  higher  and  lower, 
let  science  bring  all  the  methods  of  nature  to  shake 
the  earth  of  ancient  opinion,  and  remove  the  things 
that  are  shaken,  that  those  things  which  cannot  be 
shaken  may  remain. 

Out  of  the  Bible,  before  science  was  born,  there  were 
strange  doctrines  of  the  will  of  God  built  up  with  mas- 
sive logic,  and  dark  mountainous  power,  as  the  guides 
of  human  conduct,  and  the  sure  prophecy  of  human 
destiny.  Never  was  a  man  on  earth  so  resolute  to  tear 
out  and  destroy  all  that  was  false,  so  resolute  to  estab- 
lish what  was  true,  and  to  make  truth,  to  the  very  last 


244  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

fiber  of  it,  the  rule  of  practical  life,  as  John  Calvin.  He 
could  ride  all  day  in  the  valley  of  the  Rhine  and  see  not 
a  thing  of  beauty.  John  Calvin  is  dead,  and  his  doc- 
trines of  God  and  man  are  his  winding-sheet.  Walk 
reverently  and  look  upon  that  face,  and  lay  a  leaf  of 
holly,  or  myrtle,  or  immortelles  on  his  bier.  As  far  as 
the  state  of  knowledge  permitted,  he  laid  the  founda- 
tion and  reared  the  walls  of  the  most  terrible  system 
ever  devised  by  man.  The  strong  angel  has  spoken  — 
earth  and  heaven  are  shaken  that  those  things  which 
cannot  be  shaken  may  remain. 

Silent  influences  have  been  working  on  the  common 
mind,  not  only  through  religion  directly,  but  through 
literature.  Whatever  is  humanizing,  whatever  reveals 
a  sympathy  between  the  human  and  divine,  gives  the 
keynote  of  the  human  world,  and  reveals  the  heart  of 
God.  Walter  Scott,  Robert  Burns,  Carlyle,  Emerson, 
have  made  manhood  the  standard  of  virtue.  The  great 
transition  of  thought  is  from  theology  to  humanity. 
Jesus  said,  "Ye  believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  me." 
If  we  believe  in  God  we  must  believe  hi  ourselves  — 
that  we  are  spiritual  beings  of  like  nature  with  him. 
And  if  we  have  this  great  belief  in  God  and  ourselves, 
we  shall  not  go  amiss  amid  many  doctrines,  and  while 
many  things  are  shaken,  that  which  cannot  be  shaken 
will  endure.  We  need  to  minimize  our  beliefs,  and 
weigh  them  rather  than  count  them.  To  know  too 
much  is  a  sign  of  a  sterile  mind.  We  should  cherish  a 
wise  agnosticism.  We  live  by  apprehension  more  than 


THAT  WHICH  REMAINETH     245 

by  comprehension.  A  poet  has  said :  "Things  proved 
are  not  worth  proving."  All  our  great  beliefs  are  dar- 
ing assumptions ;  they  were  not  reasoned  into  us,  and 
they  cannot  be  reasoned  out  of  us.  It  is  the  promise 
of  our  own  nature  that  gives  us  hold  on  things  eternal. 
Every  man  is  convinced  of  his  own  being,  though  he 
may  not  have  reflected  on  it  to  learn  what  it  implies. 
But  its  chief  attributes  are  so  obvious  that, when  once 
attention  has  b^en  called  to  them,  they  cannot  fail  to 
be  discussed  and  recognized.  These  attributes,  call 
them  what  you  will  —  reason,  conscience,  faith,  love, 
or  individuality,  self-consciousness,  free  will  —  give 
us  rank  as  children  of  God,  the  great  distinction 
between  creatures  and  beings.  A  great  writer  has 
said :  "What  the  thing  is,  which  we  call  ourselves,  we 
know  not.  It  may  be  true.  I  for  one  care  not  that  the 
descent  of  our  mortal  bodies  may  be  traced  through 
an  ascending  series  to  some  glutinous  organism  on  the 
rocks  of  the  primeval  ocean.  It  is  nothing  to  me  that 
the  maker  of  me  has  been  pleased  to  construct  the 
perishable  frame  which  I  call  my  body.  It  is  mine,  but 
it  is  not  me.  The  intellectual  spirit  we  believe  to  be 
incompatible,  something  that  has  been  engendered  in 
us  from  another  source." 

The  spiritual  mind  is  angelic  —  strong  in  insight 
and  emotion.  The  spiritual  man,  not  the  pietist  or 
creed-monger,  is  he  whose  intellectual  and  moral 
powers  are  raised  to  a  point  of  vision  and  action, 
whence  he  discerns  the  unity  of  law  without,  and  the 


246  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

unity  of  law  within ;  whose  mind,  free  of  superstition 
and  degrading  feais,  is  at  home  in  the  world,  and, 
beholding  on  every  hand  tokens  of  good,  finds  happi- 
ness in  duty,  and,  without  anxiety  or  fear,  trusts  him- 
self to  that  goodness  of  which  his  own  upright  will 
and  pure  heart  are  the  promise  and  the  pledge. 

May  the  sublime  truths,  drawn  from  the  Being  of 
God  and  the  nature  of  man,  be  taught  here,  with 
prayer  and  song,  and  illustrated  in  the  moral  beauty 
of  daily  life* 


CHAPTER  XII * 
THE  SON  OF  MAN  IN  HIS  DAY 

A  SERMON 

When  he  was  demanded  of  the  Pharisees,  when  the  kingdom  of 
God  should  come,  he  answered  them  and  said,  The  kingdom  of  God 
cometh  not  with  observation:  neither  shall  they  say,  Lo  here!  or, 
lo  there !  for,  behold,  the  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you.  And  he  said 
unto  the  disciples,  The  days  will  come,  when  ye  shall  desire  to  see 
one  of  the  days  of  the  Son  of  man,  and  ye  shall  not  see  it.  And  they 
shall  say  to-you,  See  here ;  or,  see  there :  go  not  after  them,  nor  follow 
them.  For  as  the  lightning,  that  lighteneth  out  of  the  one  part  under 
heaven,  shincth  unto  the  other  part  under  heaven ;  to  shall  also  the 
Son  of  man  be  in  his  day.  (Luke  17 :  20-24.) 

THE  friends  of  God  have  great  cause  for  gratitude  and 
joy  in  the  ever-renewed  tokens  that  his  mercy  is  from 
everlasting  to  everlasting,  and  that  his  truth  endureth 
to  all  generations.  There  have  been  times  of  distress 
when  God's  people  looked  with  fear  and  trembling 
lest  he  had  become  weary  or  his  heart  had  failed.  But 
from  age  to  age  a  light  gleams  from  one  part  under 
heaven,  even  unto  the  other  part  under  heaven,  and 
God  seems  nearer  and  nearer  his  beloved  race,  while 
man's  heart  and  woman's  tears  win  new  victories  of 
the  soul. 

Is  there  a  God  in  history?  Is  there  a  Providence  in 
the  lif  e  of  mankind  ?  The  ancient  prophet  had  a  vision 
of  it  through  the  rifted  clouds  of  wonder  and  mystery, 
when  humanity  was  young.  The  prophet  conceived 

1  The  sermon  in  this  chapter  was  printed  by  the  British  and  Foreign 
Unitarian  Association  in  London  in  August,  1893. 


248  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

humanity  in  the  relation  of  a  child  to  his  parent :  the 
child's  image  is  formed  on  the  retina  of  the  father's  eye, 
and  the  father  caresses  him,  the  little  man  of  his  eye, 
and  loves  him  for  the  tie  of  kindred  blood  and  the 
beauty  of  his  being. 

Another  prophet  and  apostle  conceives  humanity 
not  in  infancy,  but  in  childhood,  led  by  the  pedagogue 
to  school  —  the  young  scholar  brought  to  the  master 
by  the  father's  servant,  who  guided  and  urged  on  the 
boy,  carried  his  satchel,  and  saw  him  safe  at  the  door, 
where  the  teacher  received  him  to  the  hospitalities  of  a 
larger  mind.  "The  law  was  our  pedagogue  to  bring  us 
to  Christ"  —  a  conception  of  the  provisional  and  pro- 
gressive character  of  divine  guidance,  culminating  at 
length  in  the  fullness  of  light  and  life,  when  God  shall 
be  all  in  all. 

Yet  another,  brooding  over  the  mighty  theme  of 
God's  ways,  ascends  the  ages  and  icons,  and  catches  a 
glimpse  of  the  eternal  method,  which  in  our  day  is  the 
sublime  generalization  of  the  patient  love  and  judicial 
mind  of  science : 

My  frame  was  not  hidden  from  Thee, 

When  I  was  made  in  secret, 

And  curiously  wrought  in  the  lowest  parts  of  the  earth. 

Thine  eyes  did  see  mine  imperfect  substance, 

And  in  thy  book  were  all  my  members  written, 

Which  day  by  day  were  fashioned, 

When  as  yet  there  was  none  of  them. 

Prophetic  vision,  spiritual  genius,  is  ever  seeing  new 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  IN  HIS  DAY     249 

worlds  beyond  the  western  horizon,  and  the  setting  sun 
of  to-day  is  the  dawn  of  to-morrow ;  while  to  the  simply 
practical  mind  the  present  is  a  finality,  the  world  is 
finished.  God  has  fulfilled  the  contract  he  made  with 
man :  the  work  is  done.  Yet  we  hear  much  of  progress. 
The  air  is  full.  It  is  with  us  wherever  we  go,  importun- 
ing us  for  attention,  admiration,  or  wonder.  Progress 
in  the  material  world  is  in  the  market-place  —  a  thing 
of  length  and  breadth  and  thickness,  that  can  be 
bought  at  a  price.  It  comes  home  to  our  comfort, 
refinement,  or  luxury.  No  man  in  his  senses  will  speak 
lightly  of  man's  conquest  over  nature,  as  we  call  it, 
nor  affect  the  conceit  of  indifference  to  the  wonderful 
works  of  the  hands  and  the  brains  of  the  children  of 
men.  Nor  will  he  deny,  but  gratefully  confess,  the 
indirect  influence  of  these  upon  morals  and  religion. 
There  is  a  sense  in  which  material  comfort  sweetens 
life  and  relieves  the  hardness  of  necessity.  Though 
the  sufferings  of  the  world  may  be  changed,  they  are 
not  less,  even  as  the  increase  of  knowledge  does  not 
diminish  the  area  of  the  unknown.  So  there  is  no 
patent  right  to  make  virtue  and  honor  easy;  nor  is 
the  electric  light  to  be  confounded  with  "  the  lightning 
that  lighteneth  out  of  the  one  part  under  heaven,"  and 
"  shineth  unto  the  other  part  under  heaven."  There  is 
no  essential  and  eternal  relation  between  righteousness 
and  physical  comfort,  as  there  is  no  essential  and 
eternal  relation  between  the  salary  of  a  judge  and  the 
judicial  mind.  In  war  the  science  of  attack  is,  in  the 


25o  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

long  run,  matched  by  the  science  of  defense,  and  dyna- 
mite is  as  good  for  an  anarchist  to  tear  a  town  into 
human  agonies,  as  it  is  for  an  engineer  to  compel  the 
sullen  rocks  or  make  the  proud  mountain  bellow  with 
pain.  The  conductor  of  a  street-car,  unless  there  is  a 
sparkling  gem  of  honor  in  his  breast,  can  outwit  the 
spring-punch ;  and  trying  to  make  a  man  honest,  true, 
and  pure  by  "improvements"  is  like  putting  a  fox  to 
bed,  and  teaching  him  to  lay  his  head  on  a  pillow  and 
sleep  like  a  child. 

Of  course,  it  is  a  mere  platitude  of  the  village  moral- 
ist to  say  that,  if  men  were  inspired  with  high  and  pure 
principles,  the  world's  wrongs  would  be  righted.  But 
that  is  not  what  I  am  saying.  Our  notions  of  progress 
are  often  vague,  and  it  is  good  to  know  what  we  mean. 
The  world  is  a  unit,  and  there  is  One  Lawgiver  for 
starry  heavens  and  soul  of  man.  The  virtues  are  many, 
but  virtue  is  one :  ten  commandments,  but  one  right- 
eousness. The  kingdom  of  God  includes  all  the  inci- 
dentals ;  but  the  natural  center  and  germ  of  the  world, 
the  idea  of  progress,  is  in  morals  and  religion.  There 
the  responsible  God  meets  responsible  man;  and  all 
the  conquered  powers  of  nature  follow,  if  haply  they 
may  render  willing  service.  The  kingdom  of  God  — 
that  kingdom  which  is  the  peculiar  field  of  divine 
powers  and  operations  —  has  its  own  methods  of  still 
and  quiet  coming.  Its  field  is  the  mind  of  man,  where 
results  alone  are  manifest:  the  process  is  concealed. 
How  fares  it  in  this  kingdom  of  God,  in  which  results 
alone  are  manifest  ? 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  IN  HIS  DAY     251 

The  great  truth  is  now,  ever  has  been,  and  ever  shall 
be  that  man  is  the  crown  of  the  world ;  that  the  study 
of  his  nature  and  the  conditions  of  his  life  is  the  focus 
of  intellectual  rays,  and  the  ever-brightening  way  of 
all  divine  ambition.  To  this  end  of  man's  honor  and 
advancement  all  institutions  —  science,  art,  philos- 
ophy, and  religion  —  are  subordinated.  To  increase 
the  capacity  and  refine  the  quality  of  human  nature 
and  human  life,  to  raise  man's  powers  to  a  height  of 
vision  and  action  where  he  discerns  the  nature  and 
relation  of  things,  sees  truth,  is  not  humiliated  by 
ghostly  superstition  or  mean  fear,  finds  perennial 
fountains  of  thought  and  life  within  himself  and  the 
scenes  in  which  he  moves,  acts  amid  the  egotism  of  the 
senses  and  the  impudence  of  social  fallacies,  under  the 
guidance  of  enlightened  conscience  and  responsible 
will,  warmed  by  the  genial  beams  of  human  love  — 
this  is  the  kingdom  of  God  within,  and  the  lightning 
that  flashes  across  the  firmament  This  goes  behind 
economics,  behind  social  solidarity,  to  the  individual 
man  on  his  own  account,  and  as  the  medium  of  that 
inspiration  that  informs  and  guides  the  world.  To  us, 
in  our  bulky  thought,  this  world  of  men  often  seems  all 
solid ;  but  to  an  Infinite  Mind  it  is  all  individual.  God 
inspires  this  world  through  individuals,  never  through 
crowds  or  corporations ;  and  he  reveals  himself  only  to 
congenial  souls,  as  they  are  able  to  receive  the  light 
and  love. 

We  get  a  hint  of  this  kingdom  that  comes  without 


252         HORATIO  STEBBINS 

observation,  or  like  a  flash  of  light  across  the  heavens, 
filling  the  mind  with  divine  splendor,  in  the  growth  and 
development  of  a  human  being.  What  a  distance  is 
traveled  from  the  life  of  a  child  to  the  life  of  a  man ! 
A  distance  of  thought  as  great  as  that  which  divides 
the  age  of  Pliny  and  his  panthers  at  the  celebration  of 
his  friend's  wife's  funeral  and  the  sweet  griefs  of  a 
Christian  home,  where  that  light  that  is  not  on  land 
or  sea  is  quenched  to  mortal  eyes. 

Look  at  the  child  in  his  mother's  arms  or  prattling 
with  his  toys.  He  is  innocent  and  lawless  —  innocent 
because  he  has  no  conception  of  right  and  wrong.  His 
will  is  wild  and  feline,  and  he  has  no  more  thought  of 
obedience  than  the  cat  that  he  strangles  in  his  unimag- 
inative cruelty.  He  is  a  thief,  and  takes  anything  he 
can  lay  his  hands  on.  His  knowledge  of  cause  and 
effect  comes  by  getting  hurt,  and  he  has  no  idea  of 
nature  or  of  a  law  of  nature  more  than  of  a  bar  of 
music  or  of  the  tides.  Reason,  conscience,  reverence, 
love,  lie  folded  like  buds  untouched  by  the  sun. 

But  see  this  same  creature  again,  when  conscious- 
ness and  personality  have  arisen,  and  distinguished 
him  to  himself  from  the  world  of  things  and  creatures 
around.  As  the  ancient  lyrist  has  it,  he  is  but  little 
lower  than  God,  crowned  with  glory  and  honor.  He 
has  dominion  over  God's  works,  and  all  things  are  put 
under  his  feet.  He  tills  the  earth,  conquers  the  sea, 
finds  the  law  that  holds  atoms  and  worlds.  Reason 
assumes  sway  over  the  senses,  sends  out  her  voice  to 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  IN  HIS  DAY     253 

far  realms  of  speech  and  language,  and  gets  reply  in 
mother  tongue,  then,  turning  to  the  world  within, 
finds  lineaments  of  the  inspiring  God!  Well  might 
the  modern  seer  translate  into  modern  phrase  what  the 
ancient  lyrist  sung:  "O  rich  and  various  man!  thou 
palace  of  sight  and  sound,  carrying  in  thy  senses  the 
morning  and  the  night  and  the  unfathomable  galaxy, 
in  thy  brain  the  geometry  of  the  city  of  God,  in  thy 
heart  the  power  of  love  and  the  realms  of  right  and 
wrong!" 

I  am  not  indifferent  to  the  splendors  of  scientific 
achievement  or  to  the  conquests  of  man's  spiritual 
nature  over  the  material  world.  But  to  me  there  is  no 
wonder  of  man's  empire  over  sea  or  land  that  so 
kindles  imagination  or  flashes  such  streams  of  light 
into  the  future  of  man's  possible  destiny  as  this  devel- 
opment of  a  human  soul.  That  a  child  should  ever 
become  a  Plato,  a  Milton,  or  a  Darwin  fills  the  mind 
with  proud  yet  humble  awe,  more  than  all  the  gran- 
deurs of  the  universe,  as  they  sing  the  song  of  eternal 
reason,  and  more  than  that  sublime  patience  and  skill 
that  gather  large  masses  of  facts  of  the  most  varied 
kind,  and  bring  them  under  the  reign  of  known  law. 

Thou  gazest  on  the  stars,  my  soul. 
Ah !  gladly  would  I  be  on  starry 
Sky,  with  thousand  eyes, 
That  I  might  gaze  on  thee  1 

What  is  this  marvelous  development?  What  makes 
this  growth,  which  seems  not  so  much  a  growth  as  a 


254  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

burst  of  splendor  from  an  unknown  sphere?  Do  we 
guess  backward  from  fact  to  principle,  and  say, 
Evolution;  as  in  another  sphere  we  guess  backward 
from  fact  to  principle  and  say,  Gravitation?  But 
gravitation  and  evolution  are  methods,  not  causes. 
Religion  and  reason,  unmindful  of  method,  as  science 
is  unmindful  of  cause,  affirm  that  these  are  ways  of 
God's  working.  Gravitation  is  the  universal  force  — 
reason  and  religion  call  it  will,  diffused  through  all 
realms,  and  of  the  same  nature  and  kind,  whether  dis- 
played in  the  ball  tossed  from  a  boy's  hand  or  "in  the 
process  of  the  suns."  Gravitation  unifies  the  universe 
in  one  Eternal  Will.  Evolution,  in  its  strictly  human 
sphere,  is  the  unfolding  in  man  of  powers  which  recog- 
nize themselves  and  their  own  law,  and,  reading  the 
universe  between  the  lines,  find  signatures  of  power 
like  themselves,  and,  guessing  back  from  fact  to  prin- 
ciple, affirm  God  in  man,  and  humanity  of  the  same 
nature  with  God.  As  the  force  that  draws  the  ball 
tossed  from  the  boy's  hand  is  the  same  as  that  which 
leads  forth  the  Mazzaroth  in  their  season,  so  the  fee- 
blest bond  of  right  or  duty,  or  sigh  or  joy  of  human  love, 
is  of  the  same  kind  as  in  the  ever-living  One.  This 
thought  as  a  divine  insight,  not  as  a  scientific  conclu- 
sion, culminated  in  the  mind  of  Jesus,  and  makes  him  a 
fountain  of  truth  for  the  education  of  the  world,  and 
gives  him  the  unique  and  lovely  grandeur  of  Teacher 
of  mankind. 
As  it  was  in  his  day,  so  it  is  in  the  day  of  the  Son  of 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  IN  HIS  DAY     255 

man  forever,  with  all  the  children  of  men, —  thought, 
idea,  vision  of  truth, —  that  is  not  here  nor  there,  nor 
local  nor  provincial,  nor  for  hell  nor  for  heaven,  but 
human  and  divine,  filling  the  mind  with  light,  and 
flashing  across  the  world.  All  our  inspirations  come 
through  men  who  have  the  insight  of  the  Son  of  man 
in  his  day,  who  have  seen  truth  as  it  is  in  eternal 
beauty,  felt  at  home  in  the  universe  whenever  night 
overtakes  them,  and  at  one  with  the  eternal  good-will. 
Thus  the  consummate  personality  is  the  teacher,  the 
medium  of  celestial  fire,  the  Son  of  man  in  his  day. 
His  being,  his  presence,  his  word,  awaken  other  beings 
like  himself,  and  reason  speaks  a  universal  language, 
and  faith  flies  on  easy  wing  across  the  abyss  too  deep 
for  human  thought  This  is  revelation  in  its  highest 
and  purest  sense  —  the  unveiling  of  truth  to  human 
vision,  which  has  been  going  on  from  the  beginning 
through  saints  and  seers,  and  is  still  going  on  with  the 
whole  human  race.  It  is  no  climax  of  time  or  occasion, 
no  day  of  the  Son  of  man  surprising  the  world,  and 
men  crying,  "See  here ! "  ''See  there !"  but  the  Son  of 
man  in  his  day,  diffusing  his  mind  and  heart  through 
other  minds  and  hearts  kindred  to  his  own,  increasing 
the  capacity  and  refining  the  quality  of  human  nature 
and  life.  The  Son  of  man  in  his  day  reveals  other  men 
to  themselves,  finds  them  in  the  recesses  of  their 
being,  shines  on  their  minds  with  celestial  light,  and 
sets  their  hearts  aglow  with  love.  This  is  the  teacher 
of  men,  the  benefactor  of  his  race,  whose  flashes  of 


256         HORATIO  STEBBINS 

universal  reason  and  common  sense  fill  the  sphere  with 
light,  telling  men  that  all  the  heroism  of  the  world, 
the  greatness  of  history,  and  the  loveliness  of  life  are 
in  the  primal  dictates  of  conscience  and  the  primitive 
suggestions  of  the  heart,  and  that  the  strength  of  wis- 
dom and  experience  is  in  knowing  how  much  we  could 
have  known  without  the  experience  if  we  had  had  the 
insight  to  discern  and  the  courage  to  follow,  at  first, 
that  which  we  find  true  at  last.  No  amount  of  obser- 
vation can  take  the  place  of  insight.  "See  here!"  or 
"  See  there ! "  is  the  surprise  of  the  provincial  mind  or 
the  cry  of  the  quack  that  has  got  some  new  compound 
with  which  to  medicine  the  credulous  world. 

Thought,  idea,  conception,  changes  the  mind,  re- 
news the  heart,  plumes  the  imagination,  and  the  world 
and  human  life  and  destiny  are  changed,  and  knowl- 
edge is  vitalized  by  reason.  Who  cannot  call  to  mind 
some  hint  or  suggestion  that  has  unlocked  his  heart, 
voiced  his  common  sense,  and  charged  his  intellect 
with  cheerful  courage  without  which  truth  was  never 
won?  I  once  knew  a  youth,  a  boy,  whose  heart  was 
moved,  as  the  trees  of  the  wood  are  moved  by  the 
wind,  by  religious  thoughts  and  musings  of  wonder, 
love,  and  fear.  The  walls  of  the  chambers  of  destiny, 
painted  in  vivid  colors,  were  the  dwelling-place  of 
imagination  to  him.  Under  the  genial  shade  of  an  oak 
at  noontide  the  patient  oxen,  released  from  the 
plough,  refreshed  their  strength  with  sweet-scented 
hay,  while  he  lay  on  the  ground,  reading  from  a  little 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  IN  HIS  DAY     257 

book  of  sermons  by  Dewey.  The  tender  pathos,  the 
kindling  sympathy,  the  fine  insight,  sank  into  his 
heart  and  illumined  his  mind.  The  great  impression 
that  he  got  was  that  the  world  and  life  were  the  scene 
of  moral  and  spiritual  discipline  for  beings  capable  of 
divine  society,  and  that  all  the  scenery,  providence, 
and  experience  of  life  are  for  the  teaching  of  men. 
The  thought  gave  the  boy's  heart  the  keynote  of  the 
world.  It  was  like  coming  up  out  of  a  well,  and  climb- 
ing a  lovely  hillside  to  view  the  landscape.  The  air 
was  pure,  the  sky  was  clear,  the  river  flowed  gladly  to 
the  sea,  trees  laughed  in  the  wind,  and  the  jingling 
team  threw  their  heads  high,  as  if  their  yoke  was  easy 
and  their  burdens  light.  The  Son  of  man  in  his  day 
illumined  the  heavens  of  a  boy's  mind,  and  flashed 
celestial  beams  from  horizon  to  horizon.  Such  as  this 
is  teaching,  such  as  this  is  history  —  a  flash  of  reason 
that  lets  the  primal  instincts  out  of  the  dark  and 
endows  them  with  sight  and  power  and  courage  of  free 
speech  in  their  own  name.  Thus  every  teacher  is  a 
Son  of  man  in  his  day,  lightening  the  heavens  of 
thought  and  feeling,  and  kindling  the  fires  of  con- 
science and  love  on  all  the  heights.  The  consummate 
personality  is  the  teacher;  and  the  consummate 
teacher  is  the  Son  of  man,  the  knowing  one,  the  seeing 
one,  the  loving  one.  He  knows,  as  like  knows  like ;  he 
sees  with  the  inner  eye,  and  loves  with  the  human 
heart.  He  is  rare,  more  rare,  it  may  be,  than  great 
men  in  other  walks  of  life.  And  few  follow  him,  it  may 


258  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

be,  because  of  dimness  of  vision ;  but  those  few  hear 
his  voice,  and  see  the  banner  that  he  waves,  and  plant 
it  at  length  on  the  war-worn  walls  of  the  world. 
Teaching  of  any  kind  is  only  moderately  successful, 
and  the  teacher  knows  but  little  of  his  influence ;  but, 
if  he  is  in  love  with  human  nature,  he  knows  that  God 
is  in  love  with  him,  and  that  he  treads  the  way  by 
which  man  becomes  immortal.  The  influence  of  truth 
is  not  clamorous  or  demonstrative,  but 

As  sunbeams  stream  through  liberal  space, 
And  nothing  jostle  or  displace. 

We  hear  much  of  our  age,  of  its  discontents,  the  dis- 
solving of  opinions  and  creeds.  There  is  doubtless 
some  exposure  to  melancholy  croaking  on  the  one 
hand  and  to  feeble  cant  on  the  other  —  the  cant  of 
progress  and  the  croaking  of  decline.  The  chief  cause 
of  disturbance  is  the  discordance  of  religion  and  knowl- 
edge arising  in  the  sublime  and  world-atoning  truth 
that  the  more  we  know  of  nature,  the  finer  is  our  con- 
ception of  the  supernatural,  and  the  more  we  know  of 
man,  the  better  we  think  of  God.  The  Son  of  man  in 
his  day  knows  nothing  of  this  disturbance,  feels  it  not. 
There  is  no  collision  between  old  and  new  in  his  crea- 
tive thought.  Let  knowledge  soar  with  eye  undazzled 
toward  the  sun ;  the  Son  of  man  in  his  day,  inspired  by 
reason  and  sympathy  with  truth,  is  greater  than 
knowledge ;  for  he  has  power  to  master  it,  to  appropri- 
ate it,  and  make  all  the  past  tributary  to  the  present. 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  IN  HIS  DAY     259 

He  has  charge  of  truth,  the  common  inheritance  of 
humanity  and  not  one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  fail  or  be 
forgotten.  He  has  no  conflict  with  the  past,  for  he  sees 
the  truth  that  is  interwoven  with  error,  and  his  heart 
is  in  sympathy  with  the  wisdom  of  mankind : 

By  Heaven  I  there  should  not  be  a  seer  who  left 
The  world  one  doctrine,  but  I'd  task  his  lore 
And  commune  with  his  spirit.  All  the  truth 
Of  all  the  tongues  of  earth  —  I'd  have  them  all, 
Had  I  the  powerful  spell  to  raise  their  ghosts  I 

The  conflict  of  religion  with  knowledge  in  minds  that 
cannot  appropriate  the  knowledge  is  the  center  of  the 
disturbance  of  our  time.  I  had  a  friend  in  former  years, 
well  tried  and  faithful,  in  whom  a  fine  conservative  ex- 
perience and  true  spirit  of  enterprise  united  to  make 
what  we  call  wisdom.  He  invested  freely  in  coal  mines, 
rich  in  that  illuminating  oil  that  has  so  transformed  the 
evening  hours  in  the  homes  of  our  land.  He  built  ships 
for  freight  and  wharves  for  landing  and  furnaces  for 
purifying  fires.  In  a  night  the  mountains  of  Pennsyl- 
vania poured  out  rivers  of  oil,  and  superseded  ships 
and  wharves  and  fiery  furnaces.  My  friend  suffered  a 
momentary  shock;  but  his  wisdom  was  supreme, 
mastering  and  papropriating  the  new  knowledge. 

The  Son  of  man  in  his  day  is  ever  revealing  new  con- 
ceptions of  the  human  and  the  divine ;  and,  when  Jesus 
says,  "I  have  many  things  to  say  unto  you,  but  ye 
cannot  bear  them  now,"  he  shows  the  amazing  force 
and  comprehension  of  his  character.  He  recognized 


260  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

the  human-world  fact  of  the  conflict  between  past 
experience  and  new  knowledge  in  the  common  mind  — 
that  all  growth  has  a  history,  and  truth  creates  the 
circumstances  that  aid  its  progress,  as  the  atmosphere 
diffuses  the  beams  of  the  sun.  He  saw  in  his  pure  vision 
that  high  truth  was  at  a  disadvantage  in  low  minds, 
and  that  the  baser  the  religion,  the  plainer  the  god. 
But  the  Son  of  man  has  no  conflict  in  his  mind  or 
heart  between  old  faith  and  new  knowledge.  To  him 
evolution  is  only  another  name  for  history,  and  history 
is  the  method  in  which  God  is  ever  manifesting  himself 
in  the  flesh.  He  knows  the  difference  between  science 
and  religion,  that  religion  is  concerned  with  cause  and 
science  with  method,  and  whatever  science  approves 
he  adopts,  always  subjecting  things  to  persons. 

And  here  is  the  pinch  to  which  the  Son  of  man  is  put 
in  his  day  —  it  is  to  teach  men  to  recognize  the  divine 
order  hi  the  development  of  truth,  to  know  that  every 
doctrine  that  has  gathered  around  it  a  body  of  believ- 
ers has  a  germ  of  truth  that  can  never  perish,  and  that 
all  true  progress  out  of  the  past  must  carry  with  it  into 
the  future  all  the  truth  that  the  past  has  won.  There 
is  a  timely  and  seasonal  development  of  truth  to  differ- 
ent minds  as  they  are  prepared  to  receive  it.  As  the 
discoveries  and  applications  of  science  have  come  in  a 
kind  of  providential  order,  according  to  the  want  and 
ability  of  the  world  to  receive  them,  so  Christianity 
has  been  unfolded  according  to  the  want  and  ability 
of  human  nature.  Religion  is  the  most  flexible  of  all 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  IN  HIS  DAY     261 

forms  of  thought ;  and,  of  all  religions,  Christianity  is 
most  supple,  and  adapts  itself  with  tender  sympathy 
to  the  humble  devotee  who  bows  before  the  cross  on 
which  God  is  stretched  in  pitying  love  and  grief,  or 
croons  and  kisses  the  picture  of  the  mother  that  bore 
him,  to  him  who  with  true  angelic  vision  worships 
the  Father  neither  in  this  mountain  nor  at  Jerusalem, 
but  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  Consider  the  divisions  of 
Christendom :  the  Greek  Church,  that  quintessence  of 
Orthodoxy ;  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  the  custo- 
dian of  truth  that  is  promulgated  by  the  vicegerent  of 
Christ,  as  he  "  looks  from  his  throne  of  clouds  o'er  half 
the  world" ;  the  Protestant  sects  that  have  their  little 
or  great  followings,  and  their  little  opinions  and  con- 
tradictions —  these  are  all  Christians  included  in  the 
divine  hospitality  of  the  mind  of  Christ.  This  is  the 
liberality  of  Jesus  and  of  his  truth  —  the  recognition 
that  different  geologic  eras  of  the  mind  are  represented 
in  society,  and  that  Silurians  are  on  the  earth  in  every 
age.  To  understand  this,  to  see  it  and  feel  it,  to  dis- 
cover it  in  imagination,  and  to  sympathize  with  it  in 
the  heart,  is  the  climax  of  the  liberal  mind,  as  it  is  the 
glory  and  perfection  of  the  liberal  God.  This  is  the  Son 
of  man  in  his  day,  the  child  of  the  light,  who  speaks 
from  the  level  of  his  mind,  with  all  the  sympathies  of 
truth.  It  is  the  balance  of  judgment  and  insight,  of 
conservatism  and  progress,  of  poetic  faculty  and  plod- 
ding practicability.  He  says  there  are  many  things 
that  cannot  be  received  now,  but  he  knows  that  the 


262  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

spirit  of  truth  will  yet  unlock  the  treasures  of  human 
nature.  He  knows  no  landings  on  the  "  stairs  that  lead 
through  darkness  up  to  God,"  and  he  no  more  thinks 
of  coming  to  a  stand  from  which  there  is  no  advance 
than  the  scientific  man  thinks  to  conclude  his  dis- 
coveries. The  Son  of  man  in  his  day  never  thinks  him- 
self a  finality. 

It  is  nigh  two  thousand  years  that  our  religion  has 
been  on  earth,  bearing  the  name  of  its  Founder ;  and 
yet  the  summits  of  Christendom  are  just  beginning  to 
be  touched  with  the  day-spring  from  on  high.  Man 
has  been  on  this  earth  for  tens  of  thousands  of  years, 
yet  he  is  just  beginning  to  get  hold  of  the  powers  of  the 
world,  and  learning  to  write  Nature  with  a  capital  N. 
The  true  account  of  this  is  that  truth  is  revealed  to 
man  only  as  there  is  historic  preparation  for  it  in  his 
own  mind,  and  it  suggests  the  eternities  that  are 
required  to  reduce  principles  to  practice.  Man  creates 
nothing ;  he  only  finds  something  that  was  already 
aforetime.  The  facts  and  laws,  as  we  call  them,  were 
ever  what  they  are  now.  The  pendulum  —  that  pre- 
siding judge  over  the  times  and  distances  of  the  uni- 
verse—  was  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  as  truly  as  it  is 
to-day  in  the  national  observatory.  Electricity  was  as 
active  when  Abraham  led  his  flocks  and  pitched  his 
tents  in  Arabia  as  it  is  now.  But  primeval  time  had  no 
preparation  for  an  eight-day  clock,  and  the  magnetic 
telegraph  would  have  increased  Job's  confusion. 

Nothing  so  impresses  me  as  this  human  breadth  of 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  IN  HIS  DAY     263 

sympathy  and  powerful  space-piercing  spiritual  vision 
in  Jesus  which  enabled  him  to  speak  to  simple  minds, 
yet  to  reveal  truth  far  beyond  them,  and  even  then  to 
tell  them  that  this  was  not  all,  but  that  one  should 
come,  when  they  were  prepared  to  receive  him,  with 
heavenly  manners,  who  would  lead  them  farther  than 
he  could,  and  help  them  to  do  greater  things  than 
he  did.  The  mind  of  Jesus  is  the  encouragement  of 
humanity,  and  the  encouragement  of  that  Church 
Universal  which  carries  forever  the  ideals  of  human- 
ity in  its  breast.  The  progressive  development  of 
religion  is  concurrent  with  the  life  of  the  Son  of  man 
in  his  day. 

We  must  confess  that  religious  opinions,  talents, 
insights,  sensibilities,  are  very  much  matters  of  con- 
stitution and  temperament.  There  are  those  to  whom 
truly  spiritual  and  ideal  views  are  impossible.  There 
is  such  a  thing  as  truth  that  men  cannot  bear.  Have 
we  not  seen  a  decent  everyday  character  that  has  lost 
headway,  and  been  thrown  into  the  trough  of  the  sea, 
by  views  that  were  quite  true  to  a  mind  that  could 
receive  them  ?  The  fault  is  not  in  the  truth,  but  in  the 
man.  We  hear  of  such  a  thing  as  dangerous  truth ;  but, 
if  that  means  anything,  it  means  dangerous  as  a 
spirited  horse  is  dangerous  to  a  timid  and  feeble  rider. 
The  great  conservative  instinct  that  makes  men  fear 
the  influence  of  full-bloomed  truth  on  the  common 
mind  is  not  all  wrong,  however  it  may  be  overdone  by 
him  who  hugs  the  past.  There  is  a  great  inertia  in 


264  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

human  character  that  inspires  a  sympathetic  mind 
with  wise  caution  an  J  careful  fear,  and  the  Son  of  man 
is  no  proselyter.  Have  we  not,  as  moral  and  spiritual 
advisers,  been  compelled  in  all  honesty  to  counsel  some 
whose  constitutional  limitations  were  clearly  marked 
to  remain  where  they  were?  Have  we  not  met  those 
to  whom  to  give  what  are  to  us  most  spiritual  views  of 
God  and  Christ  and  man  were  as  useless  as  a  sewing 
machine  in  the  family  Adam,  or  the  Northwestern 
Railroad  to  Caesar  for  the  invasion  of  Gaul?  This  is 
not  pearls  before  swine  that  I  am  speaking  of  now. 
It  is  that  breadth  of  moral  sympathy  that  was  in  Jesus, 
the  poetic  insight  of  the  Son  of  man,  and  the  practical, 
plodding  facts  of  human  life  and  experience.  It  is  a 
simple  principle  of  common  sense,  but  which  has  not 
had  much  recognition  in  religion.  It  is  what  makes 
Christianity  the  common  law  of  human  nature,  in- 
cluding within  itself  every  possible  condition. 

This  is  the  way  of  history,  the  way  of  progress,  the 
way  of  evolution,  the  way  of  the  Son  of  man,  as  I 
understand  them.  Happy  are  the  men  who  have  no 
conflict  with  their  past,  but  go  forward  out  of  their 
past,  carrying  into  the  future  the  wisdom  and  truth 
they  have  won. 

The  lively  discussions  in  different  quarters  concern- 
ing the  creed  and  the  creeds,  the  revision  or  remodel- 
ing of  them,  are  little  more  than  the  comparison  of 
errors,  and  lack  the  creative  spirit  of  the  Son  of  man. 
As  the  immoralities  of  our  time  are  meannesses  rather 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  IN  HIS  DAY     265 

than  great  crimes,  so  in  religious  thought  and  life  there 
is  much  "See  here !"  and  "See  there !"  instead  of  the 
lightning  that  lighteneth  out  of  one  part  under  heaven 
and  shineth  to  the  other  part  under  heaven.  I  once 
knew  a  man  who  boasted  that  he  could  agree  to  any 
contract  if  he  could  have  the  writing  of  it.  I  can  sign 
all  the  creeds  in  Christendom  if  I  can  have  the  inter- 
pretation of  them.  I  feel  very  much  toward  them  and 
their  meaning  as  Augustine  did  about  time.  If  you  ask 
me,  I  do  not  know :  if  you  do  not  ask  me,  I  do  know. 
Yet  men  of  honor  do  not  write  agreements  to  be  read 
between  the  lines.  I  could  not  do  business  or  hire  a 
man  to  saw  a  cord  of  wood  or  have  a  faithful  maid  in 
the  kitchen  on  that  plan.  But  I  charge  no  man  with 
dishonesty  or  prevarication  in  this  matter.  When  I 
reflect  on  the  variety  of  things  that  an  honest  man  can 
do,  from  the  United  States  Land  Office  to  the  New 
Theology,  showing  a  versatility  of  resource  with  which 
no  other  talent  bears  comparison,  I  am  careful  how  I 
charge  men  with  religious  dishonesty.  I  think  that  I 
do  often  see  what  I  am  bound  to  call  intellectual  and 
moral  cowardice,  and  I  am  bound  to  confess  that  intel- 
lectual honesty  is  much  more  rare  than  moral  honesty, 
owing  to  what  seems  to  me  some  weakness  of  vision. 
Yet  I  am  careful  about  calling  men  dishonest,  though 
they  do  and  say  and  believe  that  which  I  could  not 
believe  or  say  or  do,  to  save  my  soul  from  hell.  Haw- 
thorne's ancestor  was  as  honest  whipping  a  witch  on 
the  road  from  Boston  to  Salem  as  the  genial  writer  of 


266  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

"The  House  of  the  Seven  Gables."  Honesty!  Yes,  let 
us  have  it.  And  let  us  believe  in  it,  in  ourselves,  and  in 
our  fellow-men.  Let  us  be  more  than  honest :  let  us  be 
honorable.  And  let  us  remember  that  honesty,  to  be 
worthy  of  its  name,  to  be  worthy  of  anything  above  a 
kind  of  pitiful  respect,  must  carry  a  light  that  flames 
upon  its  path  like  that  light  of  the  Son  of  man  in  his 
day,  that  flashes  from  horizon  to  horizon,  and  no 
tallow  dip.  Progress,  growth,  spiritual  life  —  all  ac- 
claim of  faith  and  victory  and  glory  —  are  in  stand- 
ing by  the  Son  of  man  in  his  day,  giving  blessing  and 
honor  and  power  to  the  past  for  what  it  has  done  for 
the  present  and  the  future.  Then  the  past  is  venerable 
and  reverend,  and  through  all  its  cruelties  and  igno- 
rances there  is  a  gleam  of  tender,  loving  care  —  the 
present  is  lovely,  as  the  newborn  of  the  race  come  for- 
ward to  their  great  inheritance,  and  the  future  is 
crowned  with  hope  and  faith  in  the  common  destiny  of 
man.  Men  weep  over  the  venerable  symbols  that  are 
passing  away,  as  if  truth  were  dead  and  buried,  having 
no  resurrection.  Far  be  it  from  me  to  speak  with  levity 
of  any  illustrious  sentiment  in  which  the  heart  of  man 
finds  expression.  I  call  men  my  brethren  of  whatever 
name;  yet  I  do  not  intrude  myself  on  them,  or  hang 
around  them  as  one  who  would  waste  their  time  in 
getting  acquainted,  neither  as  one  of  their  poor  rela- 
tions ;  yet  I  do  not  allow  anybody  to  turn  me  out  of  the 
family.  But  when  I  read  in  the  daily  press  how  our 
brethren  of  the  Presbyterians,  in  their  Assembly,  fell 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  IN  HIS  DAY     267 

upon  each  other's  necks  and  wept  over  the  fading  glo- 
ries of  the  creed,  I  should  have  been  ashamed  of  my 
heart  if  I  could  not  have  been  touched  with  that  grief ; 
yet  we  cannot  always  control  the  law  of  association, 
and  I  thought  of  the  man  in  New  Hampshire,  ninety- 
three  years  old,  who  wept  because  his  father  and 
mother  were  dead  and  he  was  left  an  orphan.  I  am 
told  by  ancient  records  that  my  English  ancestor  was 
of  respectable  stock  and  named  for  a  Christian  hero 
who  suffered  at  the  stake  for  his  religious  opinions. 
Some  of  my  ancestor's  descendants  have  been  respect- 
able men,  I  am  told  —  men  of  deep,  religious  convic- 
tions and  bulky  opinions.  I  am  inclined  to  believe  the 
tradition,  and  to  be  thankful  for  it.  One  of  those  men 
not  far  back  held  some  public  office  when  it  was  the 
fashion  for  men  of  authority,  when  on  public  duty,  to 
wear  the  town-boots.  I  have  a  sincere  respect  for  this 
memory  and  tradition  of  creed  and  boots ;  and,  if  I  had 
them,  boots  and  creed,  I  would  send  them,  with  a 
touch  of  pathos  in  my  heart,  to  the  World's  Fair. 
Why  should  I  not?  I  could  not  wear  either,  but  the 
memory  and  the  sentiment  I  would  keep  forever.  In 
these  times  of  old  faith  and  new  knowledge,  times  of 
disturbance,  times  of  village  surprises,  and  "  See  here !" 
and  "  See  there ! "  how  steady  is  the  head  and  heart  of 
the  Son  of  man  in  his  day !  How  high  and  how  clear 
the  light  streams  from  east  to  west,  from  north  to 
south !  The  Son  of  man,  like  the  true  poet  that  he  is, 
shines  and  is  content.  The  realms  of  reason  are  his; 


-    268  HORATIO  STEBBINS 

there  only  can  his  beams  penetrate.  The  human  heart 
is  his :  there  only  can  love  find  its  native  clime.  Fear 
not :  be  not  afraid. 

It  cannot  be  doubted  that  this  new  knowledge  that 
is  coming  in  so  steadily  has  some  advantages.  And 
some  think  that  it  has  the  whip-hand  of  religion.  But 
they  mistake  the  theme.  Physical  science  is  concerned 
with  things,  and  works  with  its  own  tools.  It  has  the 
great  advantage  of  the  physical  origin  of  language,  and 
can  say  exactly  what  it  means  and  all  it  means.  It 
starts  at  full  speed.  But  in  all  our  language  about  man, 
his  nature  and  being,  the  words  do  not  contain  all  the 
truth.  No  lover  can  put  half  his  heart  into  his  letters, 
but  he  can  make  a  chemical  formula  that  will  include 
every  item  of  the  analysis.  Thus  the  attempt  to  reduce 
religion  to  terms  of  scientific  exactness  —  that  is,  to 
express  it  in  forms  that  will  mean  the  same  thing  to  all 
minds  —  must  always  fail.  Physical  science  starts  at 
full  speed ;  but,  in  this  race,  it  is  the  long,  hot,  dusty 
road  and  dog-trot  that  win.  Physical  science  is  the 
helper  of  religion ;  and  the  Son  of  man  in  his  day  will 
find  no  controversy,  nor  will  he  have  any  conflict  con- 
cerning the  relative  rank  of  persons  and  things. 

We  are  moving  forward,  it  is  said,  from  liberty  to 
unity.  What  is  the  center  of  that  unity?  Has  there  a 
norm  of  organization  been  found  ?  The  dream  of  union 
and  peace  has  been  the  vision  of  prophets  and  seers 
from  age  to  age,  and  the  vision  is  yet  unfulfilled.  Is 
there  a  church  that  offers  honest  and  unselfish  hospi- 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  IN  HIS  DAY     269 

tality  large  enough  for  all  ?  There  is  none,  unless  it  be 
the  realization  of  Renan's  "Apocalypse,"  when  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  shall  rouse  herself  to  say: 
"My  children,  all  here  below  is  but  symbol  and  dream. 
The  only  thing  that  is  clear  in  this  world  is  a  tiny  ray 
of  azure  light  which  gleams  across  the  darkness,  and 
seems  as  if  it  were  the  reflection  of  a  benevolent  will. 
Come  to  my  bosom :  forgetfulness  is  there.  For  those 
who  want  fetishes,  I  have  fetishes.  To  whomsoever 
desires  good  works,  I  offer  good  works.  For  those  who 
wish  the  intoxication  of  the  heart,  I  have  the  milk  of 
my  breasts  which  intoxicates.  For  whoso  want  love 
and  hate  also,  I  abound  in  both ;  and,  if  any  one  de- 
sires irony,  I  pour  it  from  a  full  cup.  Come  one  and  all : 
the  time  of  dogmatic  sadness  is  past.  I  have  music  and 
incense  for  your  burials,  flowers  for  your  weddings,  the 
joyous  welcome  of  my  bells  for  your  newly  born." 
But  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  will  not  say  so; 
and,  if  she  should,  the  Protestant  world  would  not 
accept  her  invitation;  for  no  one  can  settle  that  ques- 
tion but  the  Son  of  man  in  his  day.  Our  duty,  then,  is 
plain  —  to  stand  by  him  until  his  light  and  truth  shall 
£11  the  sphere. 


THE   END 


QTbe  SUbertffbe 

CAMBRIDGE  .  MASSACHUSETTS 
U  .   S   .   A 


ministry  a: 
rsonal  it; 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


